Barcelona's five best January transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 6 Feb 2025 10:23 CST
• 4 min read

Barcelona have enjoyed very little success when it comes to January signings, with the bulk of their mid-season business not going to plan.

However, a few players have been success stories at Camp Nou when arriving during the winter window.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through Barcelona’s five best January transfers of all time.

READ MORE: Barcelona's five most expensive January transfers of all time

Frank de Boer - €7.5m (from Ajax, 1999)

Frank de Boer arrived at Barcelona alongside his twin brother, Ronald, but the pair had contrasting fortunes at Camp Nou.

While Ronald struggled, Frank enjoyed a successful four-and-a-half year stint at the club, racking up 214 appearances for the club.

Barcelona only won one trophy during De Boer’s time at Camp Nou, the 1999 La Liga title, but he was a solid performer throughout his spell in Catalunya.

READ MORE: Barcelona's five worst January transfers of all time

Edgar Davids - Loan (from Juventus, 2004)

Barcelona were languishing down in 12th place in the Spanish top flight at the start of January 2004 and Frank Rijkaard was under immense pressure at Camp Nou.

However, their fortunes changed upon the arrival of Edgar Davids on a six-month loan deal from Juventus. The Dutchman transformed Barcelona’s midfield and they eventually finished the campaign in second - just five points behind Valencia.

Davids left the club to join Inter on a free transfer in 2004, but Barcelona won La Liga the following season and Rijkaard’s eventual success at Camp Nou may not have been possible without the legendary midfielder.

Jose Manuel Pinto - Loan (from Celta Vigo, 2008)

Jose Manuel Pinto spent 10 years at Celta Vigo before joining Barcelona on loan in January 2008.

The Spaniard arrived as a back-up ‘keeper to Victor Valdes and Barcelona opted to make the move permanent in July.

Pinto eventually made 89 senior appearances for the Blaugrana, across a six-year spell, and he was a superb back-up throughout during his time at the club, winning 15 trophies along the way.

Yerry Mina - €12.4m (from Palmeiras, 2018)

Yerry Mina made just six first-team appearances for Barcelona, yet he has been included due the huge profit he earned the Spanish giants.

Mina moved to Camp Nou for €12.4m from Palmeiras and despite a slow start to life in Catalunya, he scored three goals for Colombia at the 2018 World Cup, which prompted significant transfer interest.

Everton came calling in August and the Toffees paid a whopping €30.3m to sign him on a permanent deal.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Free (from Arsenal, 2022)

After being cast aside by Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang joined Barcelona on a free transfer in early 2022 and he enjoyed a sublime stint at Camp Nou.

The Gabon legend fired Barcelona to the title by scoring 11 goals in just 17 La Liga appearances during his short stay at the club.

Aubameyang was sold to Chelsea for €12m on Transfer Deadline Day in September 2022, with Barcelona turning a tidy profit on the forward.