Barcelona agree international sponsorship deal to boost their financial situation

Barcelona are pulling out all the stops to improve their dire financial situation and have struck a new sponsorship deal with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

After months of negotiations, SPORT reports that the Blaugranas have agreed a partnership with Congo’s Ministry of Sports and Tourism.

It will see the nation’s “DRC, the Heart of Africa” slogan featured on the sleeves of Barca’s first team shirts for the next three seasons.

The deal will see Barca pocket €10 million per year. It may not be enough to get the club out of the woods, but it’s a start.

It’ll also push them closer to meeting La Liga’s 1:1 financial rules, which allow clubs to spend €1 for every €1 they save or earn.

Barca have spent the past few years struggling to get their books in order.

Their financial situation has significantly limited their transfer market activity and complicated their efforts to register those who come through the door.

This deal with DRC is a step forward in their efforts to balance the books and compete for some of the best talent in the world in the transfer market.

Congo’s Minister of Sports and Tourism, Didier Budumbu, travelled to Barcelona this past week to finalise the deal.

It paves the way for the country’s sporting sector to work with the Barca Foundation through development projects with schools and other humanitarian activities. It’ll also strengthen the club’s global image.

Congo has similar agreements with other European clubs such as AC Milan and AS Monaco, but their deal with Barca is by far the most high-profile.

Barca’s new sponsorship deal will help their summer transfer activity, although not by much.

The Blaugranas are pursuing a deal for Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, who is keen to make the move happen after falling out of favour with Ruben Amorim.

The €10m deal with Congo only helps if they want to get Rashford on loan and cover his £300k per week salary. If they’re looking to agree a permanent deal, they might need to pull more levers.