Barcelona ready to activate €25 million release clause of highly rated Argentine - Reports

Barcelona are reportedly setting their sights on new prodigy Claudio Echeverri, who is currently plying his trade at River Plate. According to Pablo Giralt (via Barca Universal), the Blaugrana are prepared to trigger the midfielder's €25 million release clause.

The Catalan side's interest in Echeverri is not a sudden development. There have been rumors revealing the club's admiration for the Argentine midfielder for a while now. Echeverri, at a mere 17 years of age, has given them reason to notice him, particularly with his standout performance at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

The youngster provided an electrifying display, including a remarkable hat trick against Brazil in the semifinals. Echeverri's contract with River Plate, set to expire in December 2024, includes a relatively modest release clause of €25 million.

Interestingly, this clause is set to increase to €30 million as the transfer window draws to a close, which has added some urgency to Barcelona's pursuit. Echeverri hasn't been shy about his affection for the Catalan giants, and this public admiration could keep the Blaugrana interested in his services.

---

Barcelona faces UEFA Champions League expulsion over Financial Fair Play concerns

Barcelona's future in the UEFA Champions League hangs in the balance, as they reportedly face potential expulsion due to financial fair play violations. This development comes in the wake of a revelation from the German newspaper Die Welt (via Marca) which points to a serious breach of UEFA's FFP rules.

At the heart of the controversy is Barca's reported income of €304 million, which was declared last September. However, UEFA's financial fair play rules meticulously differentiate between ordinary income, derived directly from football-related activities, and other forms of revenue.

Barcelona's reported earnings notably include cash inflows from the sale of future TV and marketing rights and proceeds from other sports. This has raised eyebrows within UEFA. These financial maneuvers, while boosting the club's immediate fiscal health, do not align with the ordinary income criteria set by UEFA.

The potential repercussions for Barca could be severe, with talks of a suspension from the Champions League for two or three years being floated. Such a sanction, as per the report, would correlate with the magnitude of the financial mismanagement.

This isn't the first financial misstep for Barcelona. The club was previously penalized with a half-million euro fine for misreporting profits from the disposal of intangible assets in the 2022 financial year.