Barca splash the cash

Unless Real Madrid president Florentino Perez unveils yet another galactico before the transfer window shuts tonight, Barcelona will be La Liga’s biggest spenders this summer — having spent over €155 million on seven different players.

With a ban from all transfer activity until January 2016 looming, it is understandable that Barca have been splashing the cash around. Most blaugrana fans and pundits shrugged when they learned the club was paying Liverpool €80m for Luis Suarez, even with the Uruguay international being banned until October for his infamous bite at the World Cup.

Overpaying for pretty average defenders like Jeremy Mathieu and Thomas Vermaelen was taken as the price of doing business, as selling clubs knew Barca were desperate for more cover at the back.