Revolution at Barcelona?: An Arab sheikh could buy the club for 10 billion euros

A major shockwave has swept through European football in recent hours following a report broadcast by Spanish television. According to journalist François Gallardo, Saudi prince Mohammed Bin Salman is willing to offer nearly 10 billion euros (10.8 billion dollars) to acquire ownership of Barcelona, an unprecedented figure in the history of sports.

The information was revealed on the program El Chiringuito and is part of Saudi Arabia's expansion policy within international football. In recent years, the country has invested massively in its local league, where top-level stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mané have arrived, and now it seeks to make a symbolic leap with one of the world's biggest clubs.

According to Gallardo, Barcelona's delicate financial situation is a key factor. The club carries a debt exceeding 2.5 billion euros (2.7 billion dollars), an amount difficult to address in the short term. The hypothetical offer would allow that liability to be settled and would grant total control of the institution to the Saudi investment group.

However, the main obstacle is not economic but structural. The culé club belongs to its members and its ownership model prevents, at least under current terms, it from passing into private or foreign hands. That condition makes the operation an extremely complex possibility.

Behind the potential move is the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the financial arm of the Saudi state and one of the main drivers of its entry into global football. The only viable alternative, according to reports, would be a partial investment in areas related to the club's entertainment or business operations, separate from sports management and institutional control.

Beyond the impact of the report and Saudi interest, at this time the scenario seems distant. Barcelona's model and the resistance of its members make the chance of a total sale, at least for now, unlikely.