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Josep Bartomeu finally resigned almost a fortnight ago from his post as Barcelona president, bringing an end to one of the most interesting tenures in club history. The Spanish entrepreneur had taken the reigns of Bluagrana in 2014 following the resignation of Sandro Rosell.
Despite the initial success, Bartomeu was always guilty of paying exorbitant amounts to sign players. The Spaniard's decision to sign global superstars instead of providing chances to players from La Masia caused heavy financial strain.
As the sports industry crippled due to the pandemic, the Blaugrana were hit extremely hard. Their huge wage bill, exorbitant transfers in the last couple of seasons, and the pandemic left the club's finances in tatters.
Now, as the dust finally settles in following the controversial reign of Josep Maria Bartomeu, we look at the most expensive signings made by the Blaugrana under the former president.
The Most Expensive XI Bought by Barcelona Under Josep Bartomeu
Goalkeeper
Neto
The most expensive goalkeeper in the history of FC Barcelona, Neto arrived in the Catalan capital in 2019 as part of an unusual swap deal with Valencia. To balance their books, Barcelona signed the Brazilian for a fee of €35 million(including €9 million add-ons), and sold Cilessen to Valencia for the same fee.
Bought as a back-up for Marc-Andre Ter Stegan, Neto has rarely featured for the Bluagrana. But, when called upon, the Brazilian has been up to task. In two seasons since his move, Neto has made 12 appearances in all competitions.
Defence
Sergino Dest
One of the last signings made in the Bartomeau era, Dest joined the Spanish giants this summer for €21 million (excluding add-ons) from Ajax. He became the first American to play in La Liga for the Spanish giants after he made his competitive debut.
Despite his initial impressive performances, Dest is yet to feature regularly under Koeman, but the early signs show much promise for the full-back. Adept at playing on both flanks, he has already played on either side for the Blaugrana in his short time.
The full-back was arguably one of the better players for the Blaugrana during their recent 3-1 El Classico loss. If Dest can build upon his early promise, Barcelona would have finally had one-half of their long-term answer to their full-back troubles.
Clement Lenglet
Arguably the best defensive signing made during the Bartomeu-era, Lenglet joined Barcelona in 2018. Upon his move, the Frenchman became the most expensive defender in the history of the club after the Catalan giants. The Blaugrana paid €35.9 million release clause to Sevilla to secure the service of the defender after an impressive season with the Andulasian club.
Clement Lenglet has already proven himself to be a steal for that amount. He has been a regular at Barcelona since his move, and arguably their most consistent defender. Since joining the club in 2018, the Frenchman has already made 92 appearances and scored six times.
Samuel Umtiti
The Frenchman is the classical case of injuries ruining a promising career. Umtiti joined Barcelona in 2016 for a fee of €25 million. The defender almost immediately hit the ground running. He was a regular in the Barcelona squad and was thought to be the long term replacement for Carlos Puyol.
But, injuries deprived him of reaching his potential. A recurring knee injury saw Umtiti struggling to stay fit. The arrival of Clement Lenglet in 2018 further deterred his chances of reclaiming his spot.
Since his debut in 2016, Samuel Umtiti has made 116 appearances for the Blaugrana and has found the net on two occasions. This season has been a similar scenario for the Frenchman. Umtiti is yet to start a game under Koeman, with the defender once again struggling to stay fit.
Nelson Semedo
The only player in this backline not currently playing at the club, Nelson Semedo, arrived in the Catalan capital after completing a €35 million move from Benfica. Brought in as a long-term solution for Barcelona's right-back problems, Semedo failed to establish himself in the starting lineup.
His defensive frailities saw Barcelona suffering on several occasions. Despite being brilliant going forward, Semedo's poor defensive performances finally saw Barcelona opting to sell the full-back to Wolves this summer. In the three years he was at the club, Semedo made 124 appearances and scored twice.
Midfielders
Miralem Pjanic
Another player who joined Barcelona following the club's decision to balance their books. The midfielder joined the La Liga giants at the end of the 2019-20 season, completing a €60 million from Juventus (excluding add-ons). The midfielder's move resulted in Arthur Melo moving in the other direction for €72 million (excluding add-ons).
The Bosnia Herzegovina international has looked a great fit whenever he has played for Barcelona. Despite being in his 30s, Miralem Pjanic looks a much better fit with Frenkie De Jong than Sergio Busquets. Only time will tell if Pjanic will be a success or a bust.
Frenkie De Jong
The future of Barcelona midfield, De Jong arrived at Catalan capital last year, amidst much fanfare, after completing a €75 million move from Ajax. The Dutch international had just helped Ajax to their first Champions League semi-final in more than a decade.
Upon his arrival, De Jong was hailed as the answer to Barcelona's ageing midfield. But, Frenkie De Jong has so far failed to live up to his reputation. The midfielder has struggled to adjust to the new system and his new surroundings, looking a shadow of the player that ran the midfield in Ajax.
The Dutch midfielder has so far made 50 appearances for the Blaugrana and has found the net on two occasions. The arrival of Roald Koeman has already seen an improvement in De Jong performances.
Philippe Coutinho
The most expensive player in the history of Barcelona, Coutinho, joined Barcelona in 2018, completing a £142 million (including add-ons) move from Liverpool. The move ended months long transfer saga with Brazilian finally completing his dream move.
It looked like a match made in heaven. But, astonishingly, Coutinho struggled to adjust to his new surroundings. The Brazilian hardly looked like the player who was one of the best in the Premier League. Limited game-time and poor form saw Philippe Coutinho moving to Bayern Munich on loan last season.
The attacking midfielder has so far made 82 appearances and scored 23 goals in his three years at the club. It's still early days under Koeman, but the Brazilian is already showing signs of revival under the new manager.
Forwards
Ousmane Dembele
The first €100 million players to arrive at Barcelona, Dembele moved to the Catalan capital in 2017, completing a £135.5 million move (including add-ons) from Borussia Dortmund. The French winger arrived at Camp Nou as a replacement for PSG bound Neymar.
Ousmane Dembele, though, has so far failed to replace the dent in quality left by the Brazilian. It was a high risk move by the Blaugrana for a player who was already known to have injury problems.
The winger's time in Barcelona has been filled with injures. Dembele has spent more time injured than on the field. Since his move in 2017, the Frenchman has only made 80 appearances for the Blaugrana.
Antoine Griezmann
The third €100 million players in the Barcelona squad, Griezmann, arrived at Camp Nou last year following a controversial move from Atletico Madrid. The Frenchman moved to the Catalonia capital after Barcelona paid the €120 million release clause to Rojiblancos.
Despite his dream move to Nou Camp, It has not been smooth sailing for Antoinne Greizmann since his move. The Frenchman has struggled to reproduce the form that made him one of the most feared attackers in La Liga.
In 57 matches that the Frenchman has played since his move, he has only scored 17 goals. Griezmann will have to be better this season if he doesn't want to fall under the category of one of the most expensive flops in transfer history.
Luis Suarez
The best big-money signing made by Barcelona, Luis Suarez completed a much-anticipated move to the Catalan giants in 2014. The Uruguayan became the most expensive South American at that time after completing an £75 million move from Liverpool.
Suarez has been gold ever since his move to Spain. The Uruguayan had an instant effect on the Blaugrana as they completed their second treble with an outstanding attacktrio of Suarez, Messi, and Neymar.
Despite being one of their best players in this decade, the Uruguayan was sadly pushed out of Barcelona at the start of this season. During his six seasons at the club, Suarez made 283 appearances and scored an impressive 198 goals.
He left the club as Barcelona's third-highest goalscorer. Suarez's move to Atletico is already looking to be a bargain for the Rojiblancos, with the Uruguayan scoring five from his eight matches.
