FC Barcelona Given Permission to Sign Forward Outside of Transfer Window

Ousmane Dembele of Barcelona in 2019
Ousmane Dembele of Barcelona in 2019. Photo by Shutterstock (10363513p)

FC Barcelona is dealing with an injury crisis in its front line, and La Liga appears to be willing to grant the team special permission to sign an extra forward outside of the winter transfer window.

Barcelona announced last week that winger Ousmane Dembele will miss six months after undergoing surgery for a hamstring tear that will keep him out for the rest of the season, and possibly the beginning of the 2020-21 campaign.

Dembele’s injury, combined with the months-long absence of striker Luis Suarez after undergoing knee surgery, led the Catalonian club to ask the league for special permission to sign an offensive player.

It appears that La Liga has agreed to fulfill their reigning champions’ wishes, granting them the ability to add a player to their roster outside of the transfer window.

There are a couple of conditions for Barcelona, however: the player must already be playing in Spain or must be a free agent not currently on another team’s roster. In addition, they will only have a fifteen-day window to make an addition.

Leganés forward Martin Braithwaite, Alavés forward Lucas Pérez, and Getafe forward Ángel Rodríguez have all been named as potential Blaugrana targets.

Barcelona finds itself in second place in La Liga, one point behind Real Madrid, and on the eve of its Round of 16 Champions League matchup against Napoli.

I am passionate about sports, travel, and food. I’ve visited over 20 different countries, have seen 6 professional sports leagues in person, and have a love for cuisine.