Dani Olmo’s future at Barcelona is once again in doubt after La Liga ruled that the club lacked the necessary salary space to register the Spanish midfielder.

In January, Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD) granted temporary registrations for Olmo and Pau Víctor to play for Barcelona, following the club’s prolonged legal battle with La Liga. Barcelona had used revenue from the sale of new VIP seats at Camp Nou to demonstrate their financial capability to register the two players for the second half of the season.

The €100 million deal, reportedly finalised on 3rd January, was deemed sufficient for the CSD to rule in Barcelona’s favour. Consequently, the club’s salary cap was increased, allowing them to register Olmo and Víctor.

However, three months later, La Liga has now revealed that the €100 million was never officially recorded in Barcelona’s accounts for the 2024–25 season. The auditor responsible for the initial approval of the deal has since been reported to Spain’s Institute of Accounting and Auditing of Accounts (ICAC), prompting the league to reassess the validity of Olmo and Víctor’s registrations.

A new audit has found that “Barcelona did not have, as of 31st December 2024, nor on 3rd January 2025, nor at any time since, the financial capacity to register Olmo and Víctor.”

La Liga has launched a full investigation into Barcelona’s financial situation and is expected to deliver a final verdict on the players’ status before Monday, 7th April. In the interim, the league has reduced Barcelona’s salary cap.

Olmo’s debut season at Barcelona has been plagued by the club’s financial difficulties. The Spaniard joined the Catalan side from RB Leipzig in the summer for an initial €55 million, but he was unable to feature in the first two matches of the season as the club could not afford to register him. It was only after a long-term injury to Andreas Christensen that Barcelona were able to temporarily register Olmo in August.

Barcelona were then required to prove compliance with La Liga’s financial regulations by 31st December in order to officially register Olmo and Víctor for the remainder of the season. Although the club missed this deadline, they appealed to the CSD, citing the VIP seat sales as proof of financial backing.

The CSD ultimately approved Olmo and Víctor’s registrations, a decision that was met with significant opposition from La Liga. Despite the controversy, Olmo went on to make 13 appearances for the club in 2025, contributing two goals and four assists. However, he recently sustained a right adductor injury and is expected to be sidelined until mid-April.

Should La Liga and the CSD rule against Barcelona, Olmo’s time off the pitch could be extended for the remainder of the season, leaving the club in further turmoil.