BARCELONA are reportedly being forced to pay flop Matheus Fernandes £7.5MILLION amid the club’s financial crisis.
The Catalan giants have been attempting to balance the books for several years and remain in a perilous economic position despite signing a huge number of players over the past 12 months.
And they have now been hit with another blow following the reported verdict of Fernandes’ “unfair dismissal” case.
Brazilian midfielder Fernandes, 24, arrived at the Nou Camp from Palmeiras in 2020 in a deal worth up to £8.4m.
But he saw his contract terminated by Barcelona in the summer of 2021 – having played just 17 minutes of first-team football.
This was despite the player having a contract with the Spanish giants until 2025.
Fernandes subsequently filed a lawsuit in which he sought more than £13m in compensation.
The court did not agree with some of the funds he was claiming for – those which related to “non-material damages”.
But, according to SER Catalunya, he has still been awarded £7.5m – the majority of which has been appealed by Barcelona.
After being released back in 2021, Fernandes slammed the club by alleging they told him about the termination of his contract via email.
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He said: “I didn’t understand it, I sent it to my manager and lawyer. They said it was my dismissal.
“Time passed and my name came out in the press. No conversation, nothing, they didn’t even call to say hello and goodbye.
“I always had the dream as a child to play for Barcelona. When I got there, they didn’t treat me as a footballer.
“I told the director that he didn’t treat me like a professional Barcelona player.
“I was a Barcelona player, and I wanted to be treated like one. The other signings had a presentation and I didn’t. I was upset.
“Looking at it from the outside I thought one thing but when I got there they treated me differently.”
Since being released by Barca, he has re-joined Brazilian side Palmeiras on a deal that runs until 2025.
He had a loan spell at Athletico Paranaense last year.
And then earlier this month he went back out on loan to Red Bull Bragantino.
Fernandes has scored two goals in 107 senior appearances since breaking through at Botafogo in 2017.
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