Barcelona WILL improve Robert Lewandowski signing chances by trading future revenue for investment

Barcelona will shut the door on their participation in the proposed European Super League, and massively increase their chances of signing Robert Lewandowski this summer, if members vote this month to allow them to accept investment in return for giving up future revenue.

The club announced in a statement on Tuesday that Barca members will be able to vote on two proposals on June 16 at an online Extraordinary General Meeting.

One proposal is to sell 49.9 per cent of their retail arm ‘Barcelona Licensing and Merchandising’ (BLM). The second is to sell up to 25 percent of future television rights income to investors.

Barcelona have set their targets on signing Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich 

But the Spanish outfit are currently struggling to finance a deal for the Bayern hitman

The club had rejected the second option because it was seen as ‘mortgaging the club’s future’ but it is now viewed as the only way to be able to sign new players this summer.

According to 2Playbook the first deal – giving up just under half of BLM and therefore just under half of future profits on clubs shirts and other merchandising – would bring in €200m (£170m).

The second deal could bring in a further €540m (£460m) and would almost certainly mean a definitive break with the Super League proposal they have backed since Real Madrid proposed it last year.

The club are now weighing up options to sell future revenue in exchange for instant investment

Any deal is likely to see an end to Barcelona’s involvement in the highly controversial proposed European Super League that was met with wide condemnation when announced back in 2021

The main television rights deal is likely to be with the CVC investment fund who have already signed an agreement with 17 of the other 19 clubs in La Liga.

It would mean Barcelona getting €270m (£230m) now (€40m (£34m) of which could be spent this summer on the squad) in exchange for ceding just over 8 per cent of TV rights money over the next 50 years.

2Playbook say a second deal could also be struck. It could be with the same fund or another for a further portion of future TV rights money in exchange for another €270m (£230m).

The first agreement would count as new debt because the CVC money is a loan, but the second would be classified as new investment and therefore help Barcelona with future La Liga salary cap calculations.

Re-negotiating a TV deal could provide Barca with instant funds for the summer’s window

Barcelona’s statement did not mention CVC and they could still decide not to opt into the La Liga scheme but any deal to, in effect, sell projected earnings from future TV rights deals, regardless of who it is with, is likely to preclude them from continuing to back the Super League which if ever seen through would have a negative impact on future domestic television deals and so hit the profits of investors who had bought the rights from Barcelona.

The club will put the decisions to members in two week’s time, until which time registering signings already closed (Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie) as well as a definitive decision on what new deal they can offer Ousmane Dembele, may have to wait.

The bid to bring Lewandowski to the club is also on hold. But if members back the club’s financial plans then the 33-year-old Polish international would be closer to the move he wants this summer.