While Rosell admits the timing of Martino's comments was ill-advised, he has voiced his own disdain for the world-record fee, claiming that his own club could never match such sums on a single player. "I wouldn’t have paid €100 million [for Bale]," he told TV3. "Barcelona cannot allow for that. If we pay €100m, people would go crazy. Madrid is a private institution and if their socios allow it, then I have nothing to say.

"We need to tell Tata that he can’t always say what he thinks, but he was speaking from the heart." Rosell was quick to praise Madrid for their decision to allow Kaka to return to AC Milan on a free transfer, however, stating that the departure of the likes of the Brazilian and David Villa from Camp Nou are useful in freeing up the wage bill.

"Madrid selling Kaka to Milan for nothing was a good move. That’s one huge salary off the books at least. Just like selling Villa was a good move for us," Rosell said. The 49-year-old also revealed he has been in touch with Tito Vilanova, who is continuing to battle cancer following his relapse earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Barcelona were handed a boost after Sergio Busquets returned to training on Monday. The midfielder, who injured his thigh in the 3-2 Liga win over Valencia, has stepped up his recovery after being forced to withdraw from the Spain squad for the matches against Finland and Chile.