A hidden clause saves Barcelona a huge sum in the Rodri deal: what's the story?

The golden deal

Barcelona's fans are living in a state of euphoria after the arrival of Rodri, and the deal for the Spanish star has thrown up an intriguing financial detail. It will spare the Catalan club's coffers from paying additional fees, unlike the rest of their signings this summer.

Rodri expressed his overwhelming joy the moment he touched down in the Catalan capital. He thanked Barcelona's management and vowed to give his utmost over the next four years of his contract, which runs until June 2030, in a deal worth 60 million euros as a fixed fee plus 11 million euros in variables.

According to the Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", the agreement delivers significant savings not only for Barcelona, but even for the player's former clubs Villarreal and Atlético Madrid.

The secret lies in the initial registration fee clause with the Royal Spanish Football Federation, worth 57,809 euros. Clubs pay it just once, when a player is registered for the first time in a first team in the Spanish league.

Barcelona avoid the charge in Rodri's case, because he was already registered as a first-team player when Villarreal promoted him. The yellow club footed that bill at the time. After one season, the player moved to Atlético Madrid, who enjoyed the same advantage and did not pay again, a benefit that now passes to Barcelona too.

Anthony Gordon and Karim Adeyemi are a different story altogether. The pair will join the Spanish league for the first time in their careers, which forces Barcelona to pay the initial registration fee for each of them, at 57,809 euros apiece, bringing the total to 115,618 euros when they are officially registered in La Liga.