Among many things, Barcelona are famous for cultivating talented young footballers.
Many legendary names like Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta all came through the club's fabled La Masia academy before achieving great success with the senior team.
But in more recent years, this philosophy has faded, with Blaugrana constantly roping in players from other teams on expensive transfers.
Not all of them have proved to be bang for the buck, but either way, many of these pricey buys have eventually helped the club recoup most of their money.
So with that in mind, let's look at the five most expensive sales in Barcelona's history:
Note: All transfer fees shown have been taken from Transfermarkt.
#5 Paulinho - €42 million (Guangzhou Evergrande)
![Paulinho returned to China in 2018 despite a fairly successful year in Barcelona](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/3fea3-16279955295455-800.jpg?w=190 190w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/3fea3-16279955295455-800.jpg?w=720 720w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/3fea3-16279955295455-800.jpg?w=640 640w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/3fea3-16279955295455-800.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/3fea3-16279955295455-800.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/3fea3-16279955295455-800.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/3fea3-16279955295455-800.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/3fea3-16279955295455-800.jpg 1920w)
This has to be the strangest transfer in Barcelona's modern history.
Paulinho, a Premier League flop, moved to China with Guangzhou Evergrande to resurrect his career and became a star in the Chinese Super League with his blistering exploits.
The Catalans then came calling for his services in 2017 for €40 million and the Brazilian made a successful return to Europe, scoring nine times and making three assists in 21 league starts.
However, the following summer, just a year after arriving at Camp Nou, Paulinho shocked the world with a return to Guangzhou. The deal was initially a loan and then became a permanent transfer of €42 million in January 2019.
Last month, he joined Saudi Arabia outfit Al-Ahli.
#4 Alexis Sanchez - €42.5 million (Arsenal)
![Sanchez's three incredible years in Barcelona landed him a big-money move to Arsenal in 2014](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/8d01a-16279956426125-800.jpg?w=190 190w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/8d01a-16279956426125-800.jpg?w=720 720w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/8d01a-16279956426125-800.jpg?w=640 640w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/8d01a-16279956426125-800.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/8d01a-16279956426125-800.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/8d01a-16279956426125-800.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/8d01a-16279956426125-800.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/8d01a-16279956426125-800.jpg 1920w)
Barcelona's forgotten hero Alexis Sanchez is among the most value-for-money signings in the club's recent history.
Roped in from Udinese for €26 million in 2011, the Chilean was just an up-and-coming 22-year-old attacker back then. But the pressure and responsibilities that came with gracing the fabled Blaugrana colors didn't bog him down.
Instead, Sanchez used the platform to turn himself into a star, scoring 46 times and assisting 37 more goals in 141 games in all competitions across three years.
His performances made him a highly sought-after player in the day, with Arsenal splurging a mammoth €42.5 million for his services in 2014, making him their third-most expensive player back then.
#3 Luis Figo - €60 million (Real Madrid)
![Figo was a Barcelona legend before replicating his success at Real Madrid](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/6ff24-16279979772768.png?w=190 190w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/6ff24-16279979772768.png?w=720 720w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/6ff24-16279979772768.png?w=640 640w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/6ff24-16279979772768.png?w=1045 1045w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/6ff24-16279979772768.png?w=1200 1200w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/6ff24-16279979772768.png?w=1460 1460w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/6ff24-16279979772768.png?w=1600 1600w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/6ff24-16279979772768.png 1920w)
Barcelona's most expensive European sale of the century was also the last player to directly join El Clasico rivals Real Madrid from Camp Nou.
Luis Figo was a monster back in his day. A midfielder by trade, the Portuguese star was crucial to creating goalscoring opportunities and still holds the record for the most assists in La Liga history after only Lionel Messi.
After five highly successful years at the Camp Nou, during which he lifted seven trophies, Figo caused a stir by joining Real Madrid in 2000, which made him the public enemy number one in this part of Spain.
The fact that he was thrown a pig's head on his return to Camp Nou a few months later for the El Clasico should tell you everything about it.
#2 Arthur Melo - €72 million (Juventus)
![Arthur's sale managed to generate a hefty sum of money despite the Brazilian never really impressing](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/13616-16279981618428-800.jpg?w=190 190w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/13616-16279981618428-800.jpg?w=720 720w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/13616-16279981618428-800.jpg?w=640 640w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/13616-16279981618428-800.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/13616-16279981618428-800.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/13616-16279981618428-800.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/13616-16279981618428-800.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/13616-16279981618428-800.jpg 1920w)
Barcelona have bought a few promising young players from South America before. However, despite never living up to the hype, although no one generated as much profit as Arthur Melo.
The midfielder played only a bit part role for two years in Catalonia, starting just 31 league games, and impressing occasionally.
Yet, Blaugrana extracted €72 million from his sale to Juventus last year, with Miralem Pjanic going the opposite way in a swap deal.
One year on, it's safe to say neither side have got what they were looking for (at least so far), with Arthur and Pjanic both seeing off mediocre first campaigns in their respective new surroundings.
#1 Neymar - €222 million
![Neymar was in the form of his life at Barcelona](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/e1ef4-16279982309880-800.jpg?w=190 190w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/e1ef4-16279982309880-800.jpg?w=720 720w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/e1ef4-16279982309880-800.jpg?w=640 640w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/e1ef4-16279982309880-800.jpg?w=1045 1045w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/e1ef4-16279982309880-800.jpg?w=1200 1200w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/e1ef4-16279982309880-800.jpg?w=1460 1460w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/e1ef4-16279982309880-800.jpg?w=1600 1600w, https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/08/e1ef4-16279982309880-800.jpg 1920w)
Barcelona's most expensive sale is also the most expensive transfer in football history.
Neymar came to Barcelona without prior experience in European football but took to his surroundings like a fish to water. The Brazilian forged arguably the most fearsome attacking partnership with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Over four glorious years, the Brazilian scored 105 goals and made 76 assists, winning eight titles in the process, including the memorable 2015 treble.
Paris Saint-Germain, curious to bolster their own Champions League ambitions, saw Neymar as a possible missing piece of their puzzle and forked out a record €222 million for his services in 2017.
It's an amount that isn't likely to be surpassed any time soon.