Kounde registration required Barcelona director Alemany to put up own money

Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany has revealed he put up part of his own money to ensure the registration of Jules Kounde, after key players refused salary reductions.

The France defender arrived at Camp Nou ahead of the current campaign, but was unable to figure early on for the Blaugrana despite the activation of multiple financial levers.

Kounde was ultimately registered just before the transfer window shut, allowing him to make his competitive debut for Xavi’s side, but the delay raised questions over why the club took so long.

Alemany revealed he and the rest of the club’s board of directors were forced to stump up additional cash to ensure he could figure, hitting out at LaLiga’s financial regulations.

“With €867million [worth] of levers, LaLiga told us that it was still not enough to register Kounde,” he told the club’s general assembly. “So, we had to guarantee.”

The director further revealed the decision of key players – among them Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba – to refuse a slashed salary was what led to the board being forced to make the move.

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“We found overpriced salaries compared to the market price,” he added. “They blocked our ability to make transfers.

“These players are impossible to transfer, and otherwise enforce a tax on our fairplay restrictions. They are wage packets outside the market, and our goal is to make them disappear.”