All the signings made by Joan Laporta in his second term as president of FC Barcelona

Joan Laporta returned to the presidency of FC Barcelona on 7 March 2021, facing an extremely delicate economic and institutional situation. Since then, he has led the club through an intense restructuring, which has involved a series of signings, sales and the promotion of young talents from La Masia. In his first two seasons in charge, Barça has undergone a deep reconstruction, combining the arrival of big names with the departure of key players.

The first summer of transfers under Laporta brought with it a mix of veteran players and promising youngsters. Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia and Memphis Depay They arrived as free agents from Manchester City and Olympique Lyon respectively. However, Aguero was forced to retire due to health problems, while Depay, although important at times, was transferred to Atletico Madrid in January 2023.

Laporta also brought Luuk de Jong on loan from Sevilla, who contributed important goals throughout the season. Another significant move was the signing of Emerson Royal from Real Betis for 9 million euros, although he was quickly sold to Tottenham to ease the club’s finances.

The case of Yusuf Demir It was a peculiar one, as he arrived on loan from Rapid Vienna, but he did not live up to expectations and returned to his club of origin. However, the most impressive signing of that season was Ferran Torreswho arrived from Manchester City for 55 million euros in January 2022, looking to inject youth and quality into the forward line.

Veteran players like Dani Alves They returned to contribute experience, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adama Traore were added in the winter transfer market. Aubameyang, after a successful second half of the season, was sold to Chelsea in the summer of 2022, while Traoré returned to Wolverhampton.

The 2022-2023 season marked a change in the transfer policy, with Laporta betting on high-profile players and promising youngsters. Pablo Torre He arrived from Racing Santander for 5 million euros, and Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen joined on a free transfer from AC Milan and Chelsea respectively.

The big investments came with Raphinha (58 million euros) from Leeds United, Robert Lewandowski (45 million euros) from Bayern Munich, and Jules Koundé (50 million euros) from Sevilla. All of them have become pillars of the team under the direction of Xavi Hernández.

As for the exits, Hector Bellerin and Marcos Alonso They also arrived as free agents, but Bellerín left the club after just six months to join Sporting Lisbon.

For the 2023-2024 season, Laporta continued his policy of strategic signings with the arrival of Ilkay Gündogan (free from Manchester City), who looks set to return to Manchester City for free again, and Inigo Martinez (free from Athletic Club), both with experience and the ability to contribute to the team at key moments. Oriol Romeu He was signed for 4.5 million euros from Girona, filling the vacancy in midfield following the departure of Sergio Busquets.

Barcelona’s future looked promising with the signing of the young Brazilian striker Vitor Roquewho arrived in January 2024 for 30 million euros from Athletico Paranaense, although today he is more out than in the Blaugrana squad. In addition, the loans of João Cancelo from Manchester City and João Felix Atlético de Madrid were trying to strengthen their squad in key positions. Now the Portuguese full-back has returned to City while Joao Félix has returned to Atlético de Madrid, only to be sold to Chelsea for 49 million euros.

Young promises like Mikayil Faye (5 million euros from NK Kustosija Zagreb) and Noah Darvich (2.5 million euros from SC Freiburg) underline Laporta’s commitment to the future of the club, while Marc Guiupromoted from La Masia and who left this transfer market for Chelsea for 6 million euros.

Laporta has shown a clear commitment to the youth team, promoting young talents such as Alexander Balde, Gavi and Lamine Yamalwho have begun to establish themselves in the first team. This approach has been key to ensuring that Barça maintains its footballing identity, based on the development of young stars.

In short, after more than two years in charge, Joan Laporta has managed to combine high-profile signings with a firm commitment to young talent, while working to overcome the club’s financial challenges. Although the financial situation remains a challenge, his management has returned Barcelona to the path of sporting success, preparing it to compete at the highest level again.

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