These 'financial maneuvers' are not without a downside though..
Barca extending Umtiti and signing Auba until 2025 causes issues further down the line and the hit taken at later date.
It is on smaller scale the way clubs are inflating prices on players swapped. Encounter many of same problems later down the road.
Of course from a financial view it's not ideal but we're doing what we can to improve the team under circumstances. I was mainly talking from a sporting perspective for people who think he'll be here wasting a roster spot until 2025. He won't unless he'll prove to be extremely useful over next 18 months and we'll actually be ok keeping him despite his age.
I think the club is seriously counting salary limit for the 2023/24 season will be over 400m or so (it was reported this could already be case coming season but have my doubts about that) so they could afford to pay around 10-15m (just a guess, don't know exact numbers) to let Umtiti and Auba go. Possibly some other players as well.
Most important thing is that Auba stays healthy and performs on the pitch, this is what we need the most right now. We'll worry about financial consequences of his signing later.
So he's gone as soon as we can use the clause.
