September 16 – Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have received substantial increases in their LaLiga salary caps for the 2024-25 season that could take the brakes off Barca’s business in the upcoming transfer windows.
La Liga’s salary limits for the 2024-25 season detail the maximum expenditure clubs can allocate on player wages without facing additional spending restrictions from the league.
Real Madrid have been granted substantial financial flexibility with their wage cap now set at €754.8 million. This figure marks a significant increase and provides the club with over €300 million more room than their arch-rivals FC Barcelona.
Barcelona, who have faced ongoing challenges in adhering to La Liga’s wage cap restrictions in recent years, have seen their salary cap rise from €204 million to €426 million. This substantial increase could potentially enable the club to make more moves in the transfer market come January, provided they continue to manage their financial strategy effectively.
The Catalan club’s recent financial improvements are attributed to a series of strategic decisions. Barcelona’s willingness to offload high-wage players such as Ilkay Gundogan, Joao Cancelo, and Clement Lenglet has significantly bolstered their financial standing. Additionally, record-breaking sponsorship deals and increased revenue through Barça Licensing and Merchandising (BLM) have played a crucial role in this turnaround.
The salary cap level still falls short of the Barca of old when they had the limit of €656 million in September 2022 and €648 million in February 2023, before seeing a huge drop to just €270 million last year after the summer transfer window.
Sevilla FC are without a doubt the biggest losers of the change, after they were assigned a notably lower salary cap of €2.5 million for the year, a drop of €166 million on the previous year due to their financial difficulties. With their annual spending for 2024 projected at €45.8 million, Sevilla’s limited cap underscores the financial disparities within La Liga.
LaLiga announces salary cap levels twice a year —in early September after the summer transfer window shuts, and in early February following the winter one.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1734968018labto1734968018ofdlr1734968018owedi1734968018sni@g1734968018niwe.1734968018yrrah1734968018