Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free
Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter
Barcelona are refusing to pay the €5m they owe to Chelsea's newest addition, Cesc Fabregas.
According to Spanish newspaper Marca, Fabregas paid that figure out of his own pocket to ensure his sale to the Catalan club from Arsenal in 2011.
But the 27-year-old now finds himself in a bitter war with his former club who are refusing to pay him that sum.
Having already paid the Gunners £2.5m on top of a large transfer, Barcelona do not want to outlay more cash for a player now off their books.
After the deal with Chelsea was confirmed last week, Barca offered thinly-veiled criticism of the midfielder's three-year stay at the Nou Camp.
How Spanish players have fared at Chelsea
Show all 7
"There has been a downward trend in his stats every season at the club," the statement read.
"He slipped right back into the FCB system as if he'd never been away. But despite glowing starts to each campaign, Cesc's contributions to the cause gradually decreased as each season drew to a close."
"From being someone who joined in with the attack, supplying and scoring goals, the magic tended to fade later on in each season," the article continued.
"He only scored one, six and one goals in the last 24 games of each season.
"For some reason, he was never as good in the second half of a season as in the first."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies