Olmo moves closer to leaving Barcelona after his registration request is denied. 

Barcelona's appeal for the precautionary registration of Dani Olmo for the remainder of the season has been rejected, leaving the Spain international unable to play for the club from January 1.

Barcelona midfielder left in limbo with exit looming after Spanish court rejects player’s registration. The Spain playmaker, who has six goals in 15 appearances for the Bernabeu-based club this season, signed from Bundesliga club RB Leipzig last summer for a reported $62.5m, but La Liga rules limiting spending on wages and transfers complicated his registration. 

A Spanish court announced on Friday that it had denied Barcelona's appeal to register Dani Olmo beyond the end of the year, which may increase the likelihood of the star departing from the Catalan club without a transfer fee.

The playmaker from Spain transferred from the Bundesliga club RB Leipzig last summer for an estimated fee of 60 million euros; however, the regulations imposed by La Liga regarding expenditure on salaries and transfers complicated his registration process. 

The playmaker from Spain transferred from the Bundesliga club RB Leipzig last summer for an estimated fee of 60 million euros; however, the regulations imposed by La Liga regarding expenditure on salaries and transfers complicated his registration process. 

Following La Liga's denial of the club's appeal to prolong his registration until the conclusion of the season, Barcelona escalated the matter to the courts, alleging unfair competition and aiming to secure Olmo's registration until June 30, 2025. A Barcelona commercial court said in a ruling dated Monday that it had rejected the club’s requests as none of the criteria had been met. 

Olmo cannot be registered for the rest of the season, “once it is understood that the player’s contract ends on December 31, 2024 and cannot be extended”, the court added.  Spanish media said Olmo’s contract, initially set to run until 2030, includes a clause that would release the Euro 2024 champion if he could not be registered.

Barcelona has the option to contest the ruling, and Spanish media has indicated that the club may explore alternative avenues to ensure the registration of the Spanish international, who has netted 11 goals in 41 appearances for his national team.  

Such alternatives may involve pursuing additional legal measures, board members offering personal assets as collateral for the registration, and marketing VIP seat packages for the future expanded Camp Nou to generate significant revenue, according to reports.  

Olmo's possible exit would represent a significant setback for the Blaugrana, who have squandered their initial advantage and fallen to third place in a closely contested title race. Hansi Flick's team currently trails leaders Atletico Madrid by three points and is two points behind Real Madrid, having played one additional match compared to both competitors.