Spanish football giants Barcelona have been ordered to keep their spending lower than Watford's in order to balance their books, a report claims.

The Catalonian club were forced to offload star asset Lionel Messi over the summer amid severe financial problems, but La Liga's managing director Jose Guerra has placed extra limits on their spending, meaning they are technically now unable to match the Hornets for financial outgoings.

According to a report in Bloomberg, the new limits on squad spending have been capped at 97.94 million euros, while Watford's spending according to the same publication is closer to 111.2 million euros.

The Hornets may now be able to outspend Barca, should they wish, but the two sides still have very different expectations for the current campaign.

Barca take on Benfica this evening in the Champions League, while Watford are preparing for a trip to face Leeds United on Saturday as they look to strengthen their case for Premier League survival.