Barcelona's economic vice president, Eduard Romeu, has said that the club's financial problems can be traced back to the arrival of Neymar in 2013.

Romeu said that Neymar's salary was so high that it set a precedent for future signings and that the club's spending spiraled out of control as a result.

"Neymar's arrival was the start of the problem," Romeu said. "Everything afterward was inflated due to making an exorbitant payment for a player who had just arrived."

Barcelona's financial problems were exacerbated by the club's decision to sell Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017. The French club paid his release clause of 222 million euros, which was a world record at the time.

"The madness starts when he leaves, we lost the plot," Romeu said.

Barcelona also made two other expensive signings in the wake of Neymar's departure: Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembélé. However, neither player has lived up to expectations, nor their combined transfer fees of over 300 million euros have added to the club's financial woes.

Romeu said that he hopes Barcelona will return to being "in the black" starting next season. However, the club still has a long way to go to dig itself out of its financial hole.

Lamine Yamal: The Next Messi?

Lamine Yamal is a 15-year-old forward who is making waves at Barcelona's La Masia academy. He has been compared to Lionel Messi, and former Barcelona academy coach Aureli Altimira believes that he is the closest thing to Messi that the academy has ever produced.

Yamal made his La Liga debut last season at the age of 15 years, 9 months, and 16 days, becoming the youngest ever debutant in the competition. He has also played for Barcelona's U19 team, scoring seven goals in 20 league appearances.

Yamal is a gifted goalscorer with a natural ability to find the back of the net. He is also a good dribbler and passer, and he has the potential to be a complete forward.

However, Altimira has warned that Yamal's development needs to be carefully managed. "He does things that 19-year-olds don't do," Altimira said. "I think that controlling his environment will be an important factor in his development."

Yamal is still very young, but he has the potential to be one of the best players in the world. If he is managed correctly, he could go on to achieve great things.

Here are some of Lamine Yamal's strengths:

• Natural goalscorer
• Good dribbler
• Good passer
• Young and hungry

Here are some of the challenges that Lamine Yamal will face:

• Managing his expectations
• Staying fit and healthy
• Avoiding injuries
• Coping with the pressure of playing at the highest level

Overall, Lamine Yamal is a very talented young player with a lot of potential. If he is managed correctly, he could go on to achieve great things.