How Barcelona’s 2021-22 sales have performed this season
Martin Macdonald
- Updated: 28 Mar 2022 09:52 CDT
- 5 min read
Barcelona are currently going through one of the most tumultuous periods in the club's illustrious history.
The main reason for this is their worrying financial situation, as it was previously reported that they were €1.3 billion in debt.
In the summer of 2021 and into the January transfer window, they were forced to get creative in the transfer market in order to bring players in, with several high-earning players being moved on to balance the books, too.
The Blaugrana have completely restructured their wage bill to make it more affordable in the short term.
Several major players have left the club this year, so how have they performed?
TRENDING
Emerson Royal - €25m to Tottenham
Barcelona's most expensive sale in the summer of 2021 was Emerson Royal to Tottenham for €25m.
It was a piece of creative accounting from Barcelona as they actually purchased Emerson from Betis for €14m before selling him on not long after for profit.
It has proved a good piece of business as Emerson has largely been awful for Spurs, both under Nuno Espirito Santo and now Antonio Conte. He has been tried out at right-back and right wing-back and just can't get to grips with the Premier League.
Tottenham desperately attempted to sign Adama Traore to play on the right in January instead of him.
Junior Firpo - €15m to Leeds
Some players just either aren't suited to the Premier League or aren't good enough, and in the case of Junior Firpo, it is a bit of both.
He was never good enough for Barca, and apparently isn't good enough for Leeds either as he has been part of an awful, awful defence this campaign while not offering much going forward either.
Nobody in the entire league has received more yellow cards that Firpo this season (9).
Jean-Clair Todibo - €8.5m to Nice
Todibo was labelled as one of Europe’s most exciting young defenders when he signed for Barcelona from Toulouse in January 2019.
However, he failed to make the grade at Camp Nou, making just four appearances in a year before being loaned to Schalke with an option to buy.
But the German club decided against buying him permanently, leading to Todibo being sent away again to Benfica on a two-year loan.
The centre back again failed to break into the Benfica team – appearing just twice – and they cut short the loan after just six months.
This led to a third loan move in just 12 months at Nice, where he has finally begun to rebuild his career.
Carles Alena - €5m to Getafe
Once labelled as the future of the Barcelona midfield, a combination of a lack of progress and a lack of opportunities saw Carles Alena eventually leave on a permanent basis to Getafe after being on loan.
He has made 25 starts in La Liga this campaign for the capital club.
Lionel Messi - FREE to PSG
Lionel Messi completed an emotional departure from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and admitted at the time it was not his desire to leave.
When Messi's contract expired, the club were not allowed to register any new players under salary regulations were met, which meant he was forced to depart for France.
The Argentne has been unable to hit the miraculous heights he enjoyed at Barca, and only has two Ligue 1 goals to his name.
Even worse than that, he was actually booed by the PSG supporters after the club's elimination from the Champions League at the last-16 stage at the hands of Real Madrid.
Rumours are intensifying that he could return to Camp Nou in 2022.
Antoine Griezmann - LOAN to Atletico Madrid
Tactically, the transfer of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico to Barca was one that always seemed doomed to fail from the outset - and it proved to be so.
If you are a short, skilful, left-footed support striker, you have no chance of prospering in the same team as Lionel Messi. Just ask Paulo Dybala when it comes to the Argentina national team.
Coincidentally enough, Griezmann would have had the opportunity to excel without Messi this season, but Barca wanted him gone and so a return to Atletico materialised.
He has not lit up the Wanda Metropolitano and has had to fiercely fight for minutes alongside the likes of Luis Suarez, Angel Correa, and Joao Felix.
The club might not want it, but Griezmann has allegedly already played enough minutes to trigger a permanent deal.
Miralem Pjanic - LOAN to Besiktas
Miralem Pjanic initially struggled with injuries upon his arrival to Turkey, but has since emerged as a key player for Besiktas, recording four assists in 20 starts in all competitions.
Francico Trincao - LOAN to Wolves
Another example of Barcelona's previous scattergun approach in the transfer market, Francico Trincao has flopped since the move and was shipped out on loan to Wolves in the summer.
He certainly has talent and can do some lovely things with a football, but his output in the final third isn't good enough.
He has made 24 appearances in all competitions, scoring just two goals and recorded one assist.
Trincao will return to Barca this summer.
