Yesterday’s El Clasico between Barcelona and Actual Madrid, and Barcelona’s 2-1 win, is the right microcosm of the place Barcelona is now. Whereas they had been a lot the higher staff, the win nonetheless got here, in some methods, by the slimmest of margins. Marco Asensio’s obvious winner late was dominated out by him being not more than a foot offside, and Franck Kessie’s precise winner quickly adopted on a counterattack as Madrid pressed and pressed for a successful objective that may have stored the La Liga race alive. It sounds unusual to say a few staff that’s now 12 factors clear on the prime and can canter to the title, however contemplating how Barca needed to dodge, duck, dive, dip, and dodge their monetary restraints to construct this now championship staff final summer season, the entire soundtrack may very well be Megadeth’s “Pores and skin O’ My Enamel.”

Barca actually wouldn’t have received yesterday with out midfielder Frenkie De Jong, who was the perfect participant on show by a distance. De Jong led everybody in probabilities created, tackles, and dribbles, whereas additionally rating second in passing accuracy behind teammate Andreas Christensen, who had the advantage of attending to play passes to his fellow defenders beneath little strain. De Jong did it from the strain cooker of midfield, the place he merely thwacked all the Madrid trio of Modrić, Kroos, and Camavinga.

That’s been the story of De Jong all season, the place he’s amongst Barca’s leaders in each passing, creating, and defensive class. He’s been all-action, as he’s type of needed to be as Sergio Busquets’s age catches up with him. However like the remainder of the staff, Barca needed to stroll a mighty tremendous tightrope simply to maintain within the staff, even when it actually felt like they didn’t need to and wished his wage off their more and more shady books. Like each different margin name with all their levers, it went their manner although it might need been towards their needs initially. The very best transfer is usually the one you don’t make and all that.

However like the whole lot else with Barca today, how lengthy can they keep on this tightrope?

When the invoice comes due

As talked about final week when learning Barca’s ref-payment scandal/accusation/mess, La Liga’s president is saying that earlier than subsequent season, the membership goes to should slash some $200 million off its payroll. That quantity will probably be disputed by Barca all via subsequent summer season’s switch window, they usually’ll play their now patented-shell recreation with levers and tips to attempt to fudge that quantity as greatest they will. However it is going to be almost not possible for them to maintain La Liga officers joyful with out some actually onerous choices.

Some choices have already been made for them. Gerard Piqué retired, which cuts about $15 million in itself. Busquets’s contract is up after the season, which ought to save round $39 million if they only let him stroll (although they’d wrestle to exchange him cheaply). Jordi Alba’s deal is up after subsequent season, however he’s pale right into a extra reserve function this season behind Alejandro Balde and each he and the membership might search alternate options, which is one other $22 million if they will discover a new house for him. That’s $75-$78 million proper there, however they’re nonetheless a great distance from the end line.

Some trimming across the edges would possibly get them midway there or near it, however that might not be sufficient. Which is the place De Jong is available in. He’s the membership’s highest earner, additionally at almost $40 million a 12 months reportedly, and he’s about the one participant they’ve who would have a severe, severe sale worth. Actually, he can be the most important sale they may supply, which might assist offset what they should trim from their wage invoice to fulfill Spain’s FFP guidelines. If his asking value was round $90 million final 12 months, the rumored quantity agreed between Barca and Manchester United final summer season earlier than De Jong refused to budge, he’s in all probability within the triple digits now.

The issue with promoting somebody like De Jong, in fact, is that it’s a must to exchange him. This turns into trickier with Busquets’s future cloudy, together with whether or not or not the membership can hold hotshot Gavi round both. If you happen to squint, possibly Gavi and Pedri together with a cheaper-than-De Jong holding midfielder may paper over the cracks, however given the whole lot that’s fairly a wager. De Jong is a do-everything midfielder simply getting into his prime years who kicked Madrid up and down the sphere. This stuff don’t develop on bushes, and any alternative absolutely would eat up a very good chunk of the financial savings promoting De Jong would supply.

Very like final summer season, De Jong doesn’t should go. He’s beneath contract via 2026 and there are few different golf equipment that will probably be joyful to pay him the $40 million he’s taking down per 12 months now. United might need to attend for a sale of the membership to be accomplished earlier than they know if they will, although one can’t rule out Chelsea sustaining the Leslie-Chow-at-Caesars binge they’ve been on since Todd Boehly took over. He might stick round simply because he needs to once more.

And since Barca all the time budgets with probably the most optimistic views, they’ll want him. Their grand plan this season was constructed on reaching the latter levels of the Champions League. Then it was amended to successful the Europa League when that first pie-in-the-sky outlook crashed and burned. Then that thudded into the bottom too. Logic and purpose hardly ever if ever enter the Barca boardroom, so you may wager subsequent 12 months’s plan will nonetheless be banking on a Champions League run. How do they handle that with no De Jong?

That is the Wallenda routine that Barca will proceed to should cope with to appease the principles and but keep a contending staff. All the pieces, largely, has labored out this 12 months. However you may’t reside on the wire.