Barcelona still haven't registered Dani Olmo to play and now another La Liga game against Rayo Vallecano is rapidly approaching.
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Olmo could miss another gameSummer signing cannot play yetBarcelona's finances remain poorWHAT HAPPENED?
Olmo is at serious risk of having to miss a third La Liga game this season because Barcelona's financial limitations have stopped them from registering him to play. reports the Euro 2024 winner is now "likely" to still be unavailable for the trip to Madrid to face Rayo Vallecano on Tuesday night.
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The apparent failure to comply with La Liga's financial regulations comes even after offloading Ilkay Gundogan, Vitor Roque, Clement Lenglet and Mikayil Faye in recent days has reduced the club's wage bill, although only Gundogan and Lenglet were registered first-team players. Barcelona are stuck on '1:4' spending rules, which only allows them to spend 25% of money they save or bring in, as opposed to the normal '1:1'.
WHAT HANSI FLICK SAID
Publicly, head coach Hansi Flick spoke ahead of the game with optimism that now appears set to be dashed: "I am always hopeful. I also hoped for it for the last game. It would be brilliant to have him to face Rayo Vallecano. Those are things that the player and the squad can't control. We speak about it, we know it's something difficult here in Barcelona. I trust the club and hope he can be registered by tomorrow. Any player who can't play will be unhappy, that’s normal. But he knows why that's the case here, and if he is available he'll be 100 per cent ready."
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?
Worryingly, even though Barcelona have successfully signed Olmo from RB Leipzig, they are still bound by the impending transfer deadline. If he isn't registered to play by the time the window closes, it will be January before the club gets another chance. Given that the swathe of departures in the last few days hasn't done it, more hastily-arranged exits could be required.