Ronald Araujo‘s injury and his likely four-month absence due to his hamstring tendon surgery create an opportunity for FC Barcelona to bring in a new player. This is made possible through a rule in LaLiga that allows clubs to make signings in case of long-term injuries, similar to what happened with Gavi‘s injury that led to the loan of Vitor Roque.
This rule, known as Article 77 of the Regulations for the Preparation of Budgets, allows clubs to exceed the cost limit on their squad in the event of a player’s injury lasting four months or more. The club must request this registration within 30 days of the injury occurring.
Just like with Gavi, Barcelona could cover 80% of Araujo’s expenses. However, there are conditions to this signing. The replacement player cannot have a contract extending beyond the next season if the club does not have enough budget for that season. The excess cost will also be calculated based on the remaining duration of the season, in this case, until the end of the 2024-2025 season.
For this, it is a condition that Barcelona prove Araujo’s injury and its duration before the LaLiga Medical Commission. This could open the door to Iñigo Martínez, who signed last summer for one season and who is currently registered as a Barça player for next season. Furthermore, Barcelona would never have to stop registering the Uruguayan as long as they did not have all 25 first-team players covered. In fact, Gavi always remained registered despite the arrival of Vitor Roque.
This content has been translated and adapted from the Spanish version of the digital newspaper
