In recent years, Barça has being criticised as being bad at selling. The cases of Ibrahimovic, Dani Alves, Thiago, Alex Song, Villa, Sandro, Montoya, Tello and Halilovic, among many others, have conspired together to create this image. The club, which normally has to shell out generously for signings, hasn't balanced its books with the majority of the players who have packed their bags in the search of adventures away from Camp Nou. This summer, new technical secretaries Éric Abidal and Ramón Planes have worked hard on the matter, achieving very positive results.
A very fruitful summer
Their magnum opus was selling Yerry Mina to Everton. Only eight months after he arrived for less than 12 million euros (£11 million, $14 million), Barça sells him on for 30.25 million, plus up to an additional million and a half in variables. Paulinho, who's returned to Guangzhou Evergrande, has no reason to envy the Colombian: his good season at Barça has not only allowed them to charge the same they paid the Chinese a year ago, but an additional ten million on top of that.
Bartomeu's senior team have also done good business with the departures of Digne and Deulofeu, although to a lesser extent. What they've coughed up for Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal has been forgotten given everything else, even more so given the possible goodbyes to Marlon, Rafinha, Alcácer and Cillessen in the weeks left before the market closes to push their takings up further. For the moment, regardless, their income has allowed them to cover their expenses snapping up Arthur, Lenglet, Malcom and Arturo Vidal.
| Player signed | Fixed fee* |
|---|---|
| Arthur | 31 |
| Lenglet | 35.9 |
| Malcom | 41 |
| Arturo Vidal | 18 |
| Total expense | 125.9 |
| Player sold | Fixed fee* |
| Paulinho | 50 |
| Digne | 20.25 |
| Yerry Mina | 30.25 |
| Deulofeu | 13 |
| Aleix Vidal | 8.5 |
| A. Gomes (cedit) | 2.25 |
| Total income | 124.25 |
*In millions of euros
Masking lack of sporting direction
Whilst the good financial numbers are unquestionable, they cannot hide one of the main problems the club has under Bartomeu's leadership: the lack of sporting direction. Of all the signings who've arrived at Camp Nou during the last three seasons, half have already moved on again. Arda Turan, Aleix Vidal, Digne, André Gomes, Deulofeu, Paulinho and Yerry Mina, the majority of whom were always going to find it difficult to adapt to Barça, are already under orders of people who aren't Valverde.
What's more, of those who have stayed, only Umtiti and Coutinho have made places for themselves in the headline eleven. Cillessen has performed very well, but is doomed to live in Ter Stegen's shadow, whilst Dembéle has seen his time at Barça hindered by injury. Denis Suárez, Alcácer and Semedo haven't had many opportunities, but seem determined to succeed in the blue and red, and won't stop fighting for more minutes.