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In 1985, a Royal Decree was passed that allowed workers in Spain to rescind their contract by compensating their employers. It gave workers the legal right to seek employment elsewhere without any barriers.
That rule also applied to football. After all, football players are technically employed by the club. La Liga clubs have since used it as a deterrent to keep away other clubs from circling their players like hungry vultures waiting for the opportune moment to swoop in.
Barcelona are no different. Every player has a release clause in his contract which is, by law, proportional to their wages at the club. However, it is safe to say that some release clauses do not exactly set a benchmark for certain players.
So which players are worth their release clause in the current transfer market that is highly inflated?
#1 Pointless Release Clauses
Luis Suarez: €200m
The Uruguayan striker is starting to find his 2015/16 form (59 goals in all competitions) after a poor start to the season but at the age of 31, no club is going to spend €200m on a striker who probably has just one or two years of top level football left in him.
Andre Gomes: €100m
Although he was signed for €35m before the transfer market lost its collective marbles, Gomes has not shown that he is worth that price tag.
Injuries have seen him miss a few games this season but that isn't why Ernesto Valverde hasn't picked him in other games. Quite simply put, he doesn't offer a veritable threat when he is on the ball.
Paco Alcacer: €100m
Another player who has barely featured for Barcelona is Alcacer. One can't blame him when he has Suarez and Lionel Messi for competition up front. In Valverde's preferred 4-4-2 formation, Alcacer can only hope for substitute appearances or when the two big stars are rested.
€100m for a player who warms the bench? Please!
Thomas Vermaelen: €80m
The Belgian defender was a failed signing from the start. Signed when he was injured, Vermaelen struggled to regain full fitness and this season is actually the first time he has had a run of games - more so because of injuries in the squad.
At 32, no club is going to pay €80m for an injury-prone player who Barcelona also tried to get rid of by loaning him to AS Roma last season.
Andres Iniesta: €125m
Before you get out your knives, the only reason Iniesta is listed alongside these players is due to two reasons: his age and his loyalty to Barcelona.
The Spaniard turns 34 before the World Cup (which will probably be his swansong with the Spanish national team) and that price is too high for a midfielder who is way past his peak.
Eyebrows were raised when he was selected in the Team of the Year when there were so many other deserving candidates. And with a "contract for life" at the Camp Nou, he is set to finish his career at Barcelona.
#2 Debatable Release Clauses
Ivan Rakitic: €125m
The Croatian midfielder has had his ups and downs at Barcelona ever since moving to the club in 2014. He has won everything with the club but has often struggled when the formation and role doesn't suit him.
Rakitic still has a lot to offer Barcelona and, in the right role, can thrive for another three or four years at least. All he needs is one good season to justify that release clause.
Aleix Vidal: €60m
Once on his way to forging what could have been a memorable career at the Camp Nou, a leg break sadly derailed his dreams and soon he became second-choice behind players who weren't even specialist wingers.
This season should have been his chance for redemption but he hasn't played near enough games to justify that release clause - yet.
Paulinho: €120m
Arriving at the Camp Nou to a lot of criticism (including from yours truly), Paulinho has answered his critics and slapped them silly with his performances this season. Valverde has utilised him well and converted him into a goalscoring midfielder who is only behind Messi and Suarez in the scoring charts.
€120m can seem a little steep but should another club use him the same way Valverde has, it could be a decent price - but only if they sign him this summer. Once he is past 30, it may not be ideal seeing how he polarises opinions with his performances at times.
Rafinha: €60m
The meniscus injury that required surgery seriously hampered Rafinha's progress at Barcelona who have now sent him on loan at Inter Milan to get a few minutes under his belt.
But the Brazilian has age on his side and, at 24, can still revive his career at the Camp Nou. If he can get back to the same levels of fitness that saw him play 24 Liga games in 2014/15, he could do well.
Denis Suarez: €50m
At €50m, Denis Suarez is actually the cheapest player at Barcelona. The club themselves seemed clueless about what to do with him; first signing him, then selling him to Villarreal before triggering his buy-back clause to bring him back.
But he is nothing more than a bit-part player in this team, making more substitute appearances than starts. The club's hope was that he would step into Iniesta's shoes down the line but with no real progress, they eventually bought Philippe Coutinho.
Jasper Cillessen: €60m
Poor Cillessen was probably enticed by Barcelona when he signed but had no hope of ever replacing Marc-Andre ter Stegen as the no.1 at the club. Cillessen isn't a bad goalkeeper, it's just that his opportunities are limited and no club will break the transfer record (for a goalkeeper) to sign a second-choice goalkeeper.
#3 Release Clauses that are worth it
Philippe Coutinho: €400m
It's not often that a club breaks their transfer record in six months and when that said record is over €100m, it is unprecedented. Yet, Coutinho was a player that commanded such a high fee with Liverpool also doing great business to get every single penny possible.
At 25, Coutinho has a decade of football ahead of him. He will be the heir to Iniesta at Barcelona and has the potential to be as good as compatriot Neymar was for the club in two years. If market prices continue to surge upward, Barcelona might have to increase that release clause down the line.
Ousmane Dembele: €400m
An injury may have hampered his chances to embed himself into this Barcelona team but Ousmane Dembele has nothing but time to make his case. The 20-year-old had 18 goals and 8 assists last season (Bundesliga and Champions League) and has the potential to truly become the next big star at the club.
Jordi Alba: €150m
The 28-year-old left-back has been one of the more consistent performers for the club in recent years. Yes, there is the odd performance that has fans pulling their hair out - what with his bizarre decision-making.
But he has since improved and even struck up a telepathic partnership with Messi to score or assist goals. In fact, they top the league as a duo with Alba assisting Messi 5 times already this season.
€150m is a steep price (twice the transfer record for a defender) but it was inserted to keep him at the club as he is a valuable member of the squad.
Nelson Semedo: €100m
Signed last summer, Nelson Semedo is yet to truly establish himself at Barcelona. But his reputation precedes him and his performances in the Primeira Liga made him a force to reckon with (most dribbles completed by a defender and six assists).
He may not be the next Dani Alves, but at 24, the club has time to figure out how best to use his skillset on the right wing.
Lucas Digne: €60m
Another player with loads of potential is 24-year-old Digne. Understandably, he has an obstacle in the form of Alba on his path to glory but the way he quickly adapted to Barcelona's style of play after playing for PSG and Roma was remarkable.
He, too, has time on his hands to come good and a €60m release clause seems ideal to stave off interested parties.
#4 Release Clauses that are effectively 'Priceless'
Lionel Messi: €700m
He may not have the highest release clause in the world (Cristiano Ronaldo has a €1 billion clause), but he certainly deserves one. There were whispers that he had had enough at Barca and was looking for a move away as his contract wound down.
But Barcelona eventually convinced him to sign a new contract until 2021 when he will be 34. The astronomical wages offered would surely have helped, but no one can deny he has earned it.
Sergi Roberto: €500m
With the old guard now in their late 20s and early 30s, Sergi Roberto represents the future of the club. And it is in good hands if Roberto continues to play at the Camp Nou.
Arguably their most versatile player - he has played as a full-back, midfielder, and wide forward - Roberto is the ultimate value player a manager could ask for. A La Masia graduate, he is one of their own and they do not want to part with him at any cost.
Gerard Pique: €500m
At 31, this was probably going to be Gerard Pique's last bog contract in a European league and Barcelona stood by him by with a contract extension that will see him stay at the club at least until 2022.
When Carles Puyol retired, the then-immature Pique has since stepped up and led by example. The opinionated defender is not far from controversy but there's no one better to marshal the defence.
Sergio Busquets: €200m
While the rest of the team around him are noted for adding to the highlight reel, where Busquets excels is in doing the basics right. He's been doing it for years - with the occasional flashy move - and players still don't know how to deal with his passing range and vision.
Having grown up at Barcelona, he too would not have it any other way as the club gave him a contract that would keep him at the Camp Nou until 2023!
Marc-Andre ter Stegen: €180m
Not since Victor Valdes at his peak have Barcelona found a dependable goalkeeper who can quite literally keep the last line of defence intact. How good? They conceded just one goal in the Champions League and 10 this season in La Liga.
Ter Stegen has made 74 saves in the league and in Europe this season and he has a better distribution accuracy than Keylor Navas and David De Gea.
Goalkeepers won't be going for more than €50m yet so a €180m release clause will keep him at the Camp Nou for the forseeable future - unless he fails to extend his contract beyond 2022.
#5 The Absolute Steal
Samuel Umtiti: €60m
Yes, you read that right. Barcelona's first-choice centre-back can be bought for as "little" as €60m! In today's market, that is an absolute steal considering how good Umtiti has been for the Catalan club this season.
What's not to like? Passing? Terrific! Tackles? Well-timed. Interceptions? His positioning belies his age and experience at the top level.
Barcelona have been trying to extend his contract for a while now considering the number of clubs waiting to pounce on him. Judging by his performances, they better do it soon!
#6 The Lottery
Yerry Mina: €100m
Nobody knows how good Colombian defender Yerry Mina can be at Barcelona yet, considering this is the first time he has come to Europe. Having established himself in Brazil, the €11.8m signing has James Rodriguez's vote of confidence, though.
Mina is 23 and has a long career ahead of him. But it is too soon to judge him and come to terms with his release clause.
Also read: 5 things you probably didn't know about Yerry Mina
Note: All release clauses updated as of 1 February 2018.
