Barcelona were so keen to bring Neymar back from Paris St Germain that the players were ready to accept delays to salary payments in order for the club to afford the Brazilian
Barcelona must considerably reduce their wage bill in order to keep Lionel Messi, La Liga chief Javier Tebas said on Thursday, adding that the club would not be shown any leniency when it comes to obeying the league's strict financial control rules.
Real, who have not won the title since 2017, lead the table on 74 points, four ahead of Barca with five games left and have a superior head-to-head record over the Catalans which would give them the trophy if both teams finished the season level on points.
The defender later became the club's assistant coach before embarking on an eventful career as a head coach, managing Dutch sides Ajax Amsterdam, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord plus Premier League sides Southampton and Everton and La Liga's Valencia.
Aubameyang joined Arsenal from German club Borussia Dortmund in 2018 for a fee of around 58 million pounds ($79 million) as former manager Arsene Wenger's last signing.
Lionel Messi is set to join Paris St Germain after Barcelona were forced to let their Argentine talisman go as they could not afford to give him a new contract under La Liga's salary limit rules.
Valverde believes the match should go ahead as planned.
With the Catalans shorn of three of their top forwards, all eyes will be on Griezmann in his first appearance at the Camp Nou since his 120-million-euro ($133 million) move from Atletico Madrid, and not least because Barca need a win to kickstart their season.
Under the terms of the contract which expires in 2021, the only way Messi can leave without the club's consent is if a rival side pays his release clause of 700 million euros (629.7 million pounds).
Lionel Messi marked his record 506th appearance for Barcelona in La Liga by scoring a penalty but the Catalans could only draw
Lionel Messi still wishes to leave Barcelona after meeting new coach Ronald Koeman, according to reports in the Spanish media on Friday, as all four sports newspapers dedicated their front covers to the Argentine's uncertain future.
Madrid's trip to San Sebastian was full of intrigue after Barca failed to beat Sevilla and the Catalan side's defender Gerard Pique said the title was now Madrid's for the taking.
Luis Suarez has agreed a deal with the club to end his contract and settled on personal terms with Atletico Madrid,
Barcelona rubber-stamped a decade of domestic dominance by clinching the La Liga title on Sunday
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola defiantly wore a yellow ribbon on his suit in support of jailed pro-independence Catalan politicians during his side's 3-0 League Cup final victory over Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
Antoine Griezmann scored two goals and provided two assists as Barcelona staged a stunning last-gasp comeback before beating Granada 5-3
Yet even without a transfer fee, Messi's colossal salary, reported to be the highest in world football, means very few clubs would be able to afford him.
'I don't understand Spain without Catalonia. I don't want to understand or see it'
Argentina striker Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona despite both parties having reached an agreement over a new contract, the La Liga club said on Thursday, citing economic and structural obstacles to the renewal of deal.
Barcelona fell to a first home defeat in any competition for more than two years
Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois, Federico Valverde, Eduardo Camavinga and Vinicius Jr have tested positive for COVID-19.
Messi announced he wanted to leave Barcelona, on Tuesday, after spending his entire career at the Catalan club.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
'We want not only to defend it but also show that we are superior and we need to have a good game'
'It could have been worse, but once again God spared me something more serious.'
Barcelona wasted a golden opportunity to extend their lead at the top of LaLiga as they were shocked 1-0 at lowly Almeria on Sunday thanks to a first-half strike by El Bilal Toure.
Barcelona beat third-placed Getafe 2-1 at home on Saturday to stay on the heels of La Liga title rivals Real Madrid but the champions were made to sweat for all three points by the impressive visitors. Antoine Griezmann sent the Catalans ahead in the 34th minute with a cool finish with the outside of his left foot after being played in by an outstanding pass from Lionel Messi, while Sergi Roberto doubled Barca's lead five minutes later.
Messi brace leads Barca to within four points of La Liga summit
Villarreal's struggles in the Spanish league continued with a 2-1 loss at Athletic Bilbao, with striker Gerard Moreno not finishing the game because of an injury.
Barcelona gave up more ground to Real Madrid in La Liga's title race on Tuesday after being held to a 2-2 draw at home to third-placed Atletico Madrid as a late penalty from Saul Niguez cancelled out Lionel Messi's 700th career goal. The draw meant the Catalans stayed second in the standings on 70 points and leaders Real Madrid, who have 71, will go four points clear at the top with five games left if they beat Getafe at home on Thursday.
Barcelona captain Lionel Messi sat out Friday's training session as he has a small thigh strain, the Spanish champions said. Barca returned to full training on Monday for the first time in three months ahead of the Spanish season re-starting on June 11 after being halted since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Philippe Coutinho scored his first league goal since returning to Barcelona to help his side draw 1-1 at home to an excellent Sevilla side in La Liga on Sunday.
Spanish media had reported that Xavi had been approached by Barca to replace Ernesto Valverde before Quique Setien was appointed in January.
Levante claim that Barcelona's teenage defender Chumi Brandariz, who played in the first leg, was ineligible to take part in the match because he was suspended.
Barcelona were hailed as La Liga champions-elect in the Catalan media after their 1-0 win at Real Madrid on Saturday, while the capital's press called for sweeping changes at Real after another domestic failure.
Following public comments from La Liga chief Javier Tebas, who said it was "not ideal" for the second El Clasico meeting between Real and Barca last season to be played with the latter having already won the league title, the two sides will face off earlier this campaign.
Barcelona suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat by Granada on Thursday, conceding two second-half goals to blow the chance of moving top of La Liga.
New Barcelona signing Sergino Dest said he "followed his heart" by turning down a move to European Champions Bayern Munich in favour of the Catalan side.
Neuer sidelined for 'coming weeks' after knee surgery - Bayern
Younes Abouyaaqoub, a 22-year-old Moroccan national, was killed during an operation in Subirats.
