Barcelona’s market fiasco: Only one signing from last season remains | OneFootball

These are challenging times for Barcelona. Their financial issues have hurt their sporting success and there appears to be no quick fix. The club’s transfers last season reflect the current situation, where just one of the six summer recruits remains in Catalonia.

To make matters worse, Barcelona have not received a single penny for those exits. Loan returns, exits and a need to reduce the wage bill mean five of last summer’s signings had short-lived spells with the Spanish side.

Vitor Roque’s short stint with Blaugrana

Roque was the latest player to leave Barcelona after signing on loan for Real Betis for the 2024/25 campaign.

The Brazilian arrived in the winter window from Flamengo for a whopping €40 million but was barely afforded an opportunity. He started only two of the 14 league matches he played and although he scored twice, he was unable to oust Robert Lewandowski from the team.

Hansi Flick’s arrival as head coach has not aided his bid to secure regular minutes and the 19-year-old will spend the current campaign at divisional rivals Betis.

Ilkay Gündogan is another player pushed out by the economic issues. The German joined last summer on a free transfer from Manchester City and impressed during his debut campaign. However, the 33-year-old has now returned to the Citizens, for free, as Barcelona looked to reduce their wage bill to register new signings.

‘The Joaos’ haven’t returned either. After spending last season on loan at Barcelona, Joao Felix has signed for Chelsea from Atletico Madrid after the former decided against making his move to the club permanent. Barcelona were also unable to afford his compatriot, Joao Cancelo, who has joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal on a permanent deal from Manchester City.

Lastly, Oriol Romeu was the only player Barcelona paid a transfer fee for last summer (€3.4 million). However, his role diminished as the season progressed and the midfielder has returned to Girona on loan, just a year after joining Barça.

Íñigo Martínez, the sole survivor

Inigo Martinez is the sole survivor from last season’s recruits. The 33-year-old defender, who arrived on a free transfer from Athletic Bilbao, remains on Barça’s books. However, injuries and other factors limited him to just 20 appearances in La Liga.

The veteran’s current contract expires in 2025 and it remains to be seen whether he earns a renewal.

What is Barcelona’s current situation in the transfer market?

Dani Olmo has been the headline recruit of the summer after joining from RB Leipzig in a deal worth €60m. The Spain international, who starred during the national team’s success at Euro 2024, returns to the club where he progressed through the academy.

Barcelona’s delicate financial situation meant there was a delay in registering the 26-year-old, though he marked his first appearance with a late winner against Rayo Vallecano this week.

In addition to Olmo, Barcelona have also signed Pau Victor from Girona for a fee of €2.5m. The 22-year-old scored 20 goals in 39 appearances on loan at Barcelona B in 2023/24.

Barcelona have brought in further funds from the sales of Marc Guiu and Julian Araujo to the Premier League, while Mikayil Faye has joined Rennes. Sergino Dest, Marcos Alonso, Clement Lenglet and Sergi Roberto have also moved on.

What’s Next for Barça? Can the Catalans challenge?

Barcelona have made a perfect start to the new La Liga season with three wins from their first three fixtures of the campaign. After finishing a distant second to Real Madrid last season, there are hopes that Barcelona can challenge their arch-rivals for the championship this time around.

Assessing the latest published betting odds from Surebet247, it’s no surprise to see the Spaniards’ chances of success deemed less favourable that previous years. However, there’s talent within Hansi Flick’s squad and the German has experience of winning the game’s biggest prizes.

He has inherited a tough challenge, as he looks to navigate troubled waters at Barcelona and ongoing financial uncertainty. However, a strong start is a solid foundation for Flick to build upon.

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