For decades, FC Barcelona has been known for building some of the greatest teams in soccer history. The Spanish club produced legends like Lionel Messi and dominated Europe with its distinctive style of play.
But alongside its success, Barcelona has also made several costly mistakes in the transfer market. A number of expensive signings failed to meet expectations and, in some cases, contributed to the club’s financial struggles in recent years. One of the most puzzling deals came in 2020, when Barcelona acquired Miralem Pjani from Juventus.
The move raised immediate questions because the Bosnian midfielder was already 30 and had shown signs of decline in the previous two seasons. The transfer was closely tied to another deal in which Barcelona sent Arthur Melo to Juventus. The two moves were widely seen as accounting maneuvers designed to help both clubs balance their books rather than improve their squads on the field. Neither player made a major impact after the swap. Pjani struggled to establish himself in Barcelona‘s midfield and was eventually loaned to Beikta J.K., while Juventus ultimately came out ahead in the arrangement.
A high-profile Brazilian that couldn’t fit in
Another high-profile disappointment was Philippe Coutinho, who joined Barcelona from Liverpool F.C. in 2018 for an initial 121 million plus bonuses. The Brazilian was expected to help fill the creative void left after Neymar departed for Paris Saint Germain in a record-breaking transfer. Instead, Coutinho struggled to find a consistent role in the team. His preferred positions often overlapped with Messi‘s, which limited his influence on the field.
A loan spell at FC Bayern Munich during the 2019-20 season produced mixed results, and his return to Barcelona did little to change the perception that the move had been a costly miscalculation. The following summer, Barcelona made another expensive gamble by signing Antoine Griezmann from Atlético Madrid for 120 million. From a tactical standpoint, the transfer appeared problematic from the start. Griezmann‘s strengths as a support striker often placed him in the same areas of the field occupied by Messi, forcing him to play out of position at times.
The French forward never fully adapted to the system and delivered modest production considering his price tag. In two seasons he scored 21 league goals and just four in the UEFA Champions League. Barcelona failed to win either La Liga or the Champions League during his tenure, and the club eventually sent him back to Atlético Madrid in 2021 at a significant financial loss.
An iconic player that couldn’t find rhythm
More than a decade earlier, Barcelona completed another controversial deal when it acquired Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Inter Milan in 2009. The transaction cost around 68 million and also included striker Samuel Eto’o heading to Inter. While Ibrahimovic produced respectable numbers with 21 goals in 45 games and helped Barcelona win La Liga and several other trophies, his relationship with head coach Pep Guardiola deteriorated quickly.
As Messi transitioned into a false nine role, Ibrahimovic lost his place in the starting lineup. The situation became even more painful for Barcelona when Eto’o helped Inter eliminate them in the Champions League semifinals that same season. After just one year in Spain, Ibrahimovic was transferred to AC Milan for a fee that eventually totaled about 24 million, far less than Barcelona had invested.
The most emblematic example of Barcelona‘s transfer struggles during that period may be Ousmane Dembélé. The French winger arrived from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 for 105 million, with potential bonuses pushing the total close to 145 million. Barcelona was searching for a replacement for Neymar and had recently received a record transfer fee for the Brazilian, which gave Dortmund leverage in negotiations.
Dembélé had shown significant potential in France with Stade Rennais F.C. and in Germany with Dortmund, but his time in Spain was repeatedly interrupted by injuries. Those fitness problems prevented him from consistently reaching the level expected of a player signed for such a large fee. Compounding the disappointment, he left the club in 2022 on a Bosman transfer, meaning Barcelona did not recover any of the initial investment.
Read the full article here
