Barcelona president Joan Laporta says Marcus Rashford and four of his teammates will be registered in time for the club’s LaLiga opener if “certain operations” are “closed out”.
Five days before Barca begin their title defence, on-loan Manchester United forward Rashford, goalkeepers Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny, left-back Gerard Martin and winger Roony Bardghji are yet to be registered because the club needs to raise money to meet league spending rules around salaries.
“This week will be an intense one,” Laporta told Barca’s website, adding that their plans “will give us the margin of financial fair play we need to register players”.
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Back-up goalkeeper Szczesny was the only player of the five not involved in Barca’s 5-0 home win over Como in the Joan Gamper Trophy 2025 on Sunday, with Garcia and Rashford starting.
Their registrations depend on Barca completing a deal worth around £87 million to sell 475 VIP seats at their Nou Camp home, Sport reported last week.
Speaking during the club’s Asia Tour, Rashford described the situation as “something for the club to sort out”.
“I believe they are going to get it sorted,” added the 27-year-old. “I just focus on training and being ready for the start of the season.”
Having signed in August 2024, Dani Olmo was ineligible for four games last season because Barcelona were unable to register the midfielder at the start of the season and faced a delay in re-registering him for the second half of the campaign.
All-time top scorer Lionel Messi left the club in 2021 because of spending cap rules, described by Barca at the time as “financial and structural obstacles”.
Camp Nou renovation ‘progressing’
Barcelona’s players were presented to the crowd before the win over Como at the 6,000-capacity Estadi Johan Cruyff, which they used because renovation work at their Camp Nou home is not complete.
They are expected to play at least their first three league games of the season away, meaning they will not play a home match until mid-September at the earliest.
“The stadium is progressing,” said Laporta. “It’s beautiful each time you see it moving along. Now we have two tiers, and the third is being built.
“We are working on the access points with the requisites laid down by the city council, with whom we are working together.
“That’s very important because at the end of the day it is the council who approve the licence for first occupation.”
Barcelona have been playing at the 56,000-capacity Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys since 2023 and had hoped to return to the Nou Camp in November 2024.
Marcus Rashford contract, salary
Rashford has joined Barcelona on a season-loan, reportedly taking a 25% pay cut as part of a deal offering his loan club a £30.3 million buying option for the 27-year-old.
United gave Rashford a new contract until 2028 less than two years ago, paying the club academy product £325,000 a week.
Rashford spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, who paid three-quarters of his wages, according to The Athletic.
He is one of the top earners at United alongside the likes of captain Bruno Fernandes and former Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro.
Rashford was declared “your new idol” by Barca on social media ahead of kick-off against Como, waving to the crowd as he emerged from the tunnel to a light show before becoming the first male English player to start for the club since Gary Lineker in 1989.
Number 14… Marcus Rashford!!! pic.twitter.com/DwoD4sXc1N
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 10, 2025
When does Barcelona’s 2025/26 LaLiga season start?
Barca start their season at Mallorca, who finished 10th last season, on Saturday, August 16 at 16:30 BST (11:30 ET / 08:30 PT).
“What we hope for this season is success on the field,” said Laporta. “We will compete and I am convinced, that with all our strength, in all the competitions we are playing in, I believe we are candidates to win.
“We hope that the Barca fans enjoy themselves with Hansi Flick’s team and there is that joy for them that we always want.
“This season, as I see the team, it’s very united and solid with very talented players and I think we will have some unforgettable moments.”
The first instalment of El Classico in 2025/26 will be on Matchweek 10 in late October, when Barca travel to Real Madrid.
