Barcelona remain adamant that they will resolve the situation, with a source telling ESPN that president Joan Laporta will not make any public announcements until Dani Olmo and Pau Victor are registered.
With €28m in the bank, Barca argue that a number of delays have prevented them from meeting the December 31, 2024 deadline. And they have applied for new licenses for both players with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
However, RFEF rules state that players cannot be re-registered with the same team a second time in the same season. An RFEF source also told ESPN that they "cannot process any permits without prior approval from La Liga." The Catalans, for their part, have disputed that interpretation in this case.
With the latest rejection, Barca will now take the case to court. But Olmo and Victor face being sidelined for at least six months. One option is for them to continue to stay in Barcelona and train, as they did last week, but will certainly not be able to play.
Olmo has a clause in his contract that would allow him to leave for free if he fails to sign. However, the Spaniard has always insisted that he does not want to exercise that clause. Olmo's agent, Andy Bara, has reiterated that stance, saying the EURO 2024 champions are only interested in Barcelona.
That stance may have to be reconsidered, however. With Olmo no longer licensed with the RFEF, even a short-term move away would be complicated after his registration was revoked.
Therefore, a complex deal will have to be worked out where Olmo's contract is terminated, allowing him to join another club for six months before returning to Barca to re-register in the summer.
Victor's case is similar. According to Spanish media, Real Betis, Espanyol and several Segunda Division clubs have asked to be informed if Victor is allowed to leave in the near future.
It should be noted that Barcelona will find themselves in an awkward position this month if they are unable to register Olmo and Victor. They cannot use Olmo and Victor, but are allowed to sign players from elsewhere.
