It hasn't been a quiet transfer window for Barcelona, but it certainly has been a cheap one.
The reigning La Liga champions have brought five new faces to Catalonia but due to their desperate attempts to comply with La Liga's fierce Financial Fair Play regulations, they have had to be savvy with their spending.
Barcelona have managed to recoup some funds from player sales with the likes of Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann leaving, as well as sending a heap of players out on loan and releasing others following the expiration of their contracts.
However, that has not been enough to completely solve Barcelona's financial issues by any stretch of the imagination, with Xavi having to rely heavily on cost-effective deals to bolster his squad in the market.
As a result, Barcelona have recorded their lowest transfer spend since the 2005/06 season, highlighting just how much the La Liga champions are struggling financially.
How much did Barcelona spend in the 2005/06 summer window?
Today's transfer market is practically incomparable to that of 20 years ago, but it does show how tough life is at Barcelona right now for the recruitment team.
Back in the summer of 2005/06, Barcelona signed just two players, both of whom arrived on free transfers. Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel joined from PSV Eindhoven, while Santiago Ezquerro left Athletic Club.
The lesser-spotted Ezquerro managed just 41 appearances for the Catalans before moving to Osasuna three years later. Van Bommel played only one season with the Spanish side but did generate €6m (£5.2m) in profit by joining Bayern Munich in 2006.
Despite the lack of spending, Frank Rijkaard would guide Barcelona to the La Liga title and Champions League glory, a feat Xavi will be dreaming of emulating this season.
While technically not a new signing, it was the season in which a certain Lionel Messi was permanently moved to the first team. Splashing the cash doesn't guarantee success, sometimes promoting from within can be just as fruitful.
How much did Barcelona spend in the 2023/24 summer window?
Despite their financial woes, Barcelona still managed to sign five players this summer. Admittedly, two of them were on loan with Joao Felix and Joao Cancelo arriving from Atletico Madrid and Manchester City respectively on transfer deadline day.
There have also been two free transfers with midfielder Ilkay Gundogan and centre-back Inigo Martinez joining Barcelona to add some experience and leadership to Xavi's squad. Both deals were completed early in the window and have proved sensible acquisitions - the kind of smart deals that haven't always been synonymous with Barcelona in recent transfer windows.
The only other transfer conducted by Barcelona was the low-key addition of Oriol Romeu from Girona. The former La Masia academy product has returned to Catalonia after 12 years away, arriving for a fee of €3.4m (£2.9m).
That accounts for Barcelona's entire transfer spend for the summer, their lowest total in 18 years. Of course, that doesn't take into consideration the significant wages that the new arrivals are on at the Spanish champions, but it has been a window of shrewd business from Joan Laporta.
When Joao Cancelo & Joao Felix could make Barcelona debuts
When Joao Cancelo & Joao Felix could make Barcelona debuts
By Sean Walsh
Barcelona have managed to register new signings Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix with La Liga in time to face Osasuna this weekend.
The Portugal duo wrapped up season-long loan moves to the Spanish champions late on transfer deadline day.
Barcelona pursued both players for much of the summer, and though they both joined with little time remaining in the window, they could quickly come into the first-team fold.
SPORT report that Cancelo and Felix have been registered with La Liga in time to make their debuts away at Osasuna on Sunday. They have both been named in the travelling squad to Pamplona.
The pair will be assessed by Xavi at Barcelona's final training session on Saturday before a decision is made on their involvement.
They have also arrived into Catalonia late having undergone their respective medicals elsewhere. Cancelo's signing was completed in England ahead of sealing a move from Manchester City, while Felix's move from Atletico Madrid was formalised in the Spanish capital.
If they do not feature against Osasuna, their next opportunity to play will come on September 16 at home to Real Betis.
READ THE LATEST BARCELONA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMOURS & GOSSIP
90min first reported in May that Barcelona were looking into a deal for Cancelo. He spent the second half of the 2022/23 season on loan at Bayern Munich, but they were reluctant to trigger his lofty €70m (£60m) purchase clause.
Barcelona then began making inroads to signing Cancelo at the start of August and finally wrapped up a deal on the final day of the transfer window.
Felix, meanwhile, left Chelsea at the end of the 2022/23 campaign following his loan spell at Stamford Bridge, before revealing in an interview with Fabrizio Romano that his sole desire was to join Barcelona.
Chelsea had considered making a late play for Felix again but ultimately decided against trying to bring the forward back to west London.
