Barcelona are one of the world’s biggest football clubs, and as such, they have spent mind-blowing sums on transfer fees over the years.
The Camp Nou has seen some of the best football players don the iconic red and blue stripes. However, not every big-money signing has proven to be successful.
Soccernet.football takes a look at the ten most expensive signings in Barcelona’s highly decorated history.
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10. Ferran Torres – €55m (2022)
In January 2022, Torres transferred to Barcelona from Manchester City for an initial fee of €55 million, with an additional €7 million in potential add-ons. Over his first two years at Camp Nou, his performances have been inconsistent and he has mostly been utilized as a rotation player. The emergence of teenage sensation Lamine Yamal has not done the former Valencia man any favours either.
9. Raphinha – €58m (2022)
Barcelona completed the signing of Raphinha from Leeds during the 2022 summer transfer window. The Brazilian endured a slow start in Catalunya and initially found it difficult to displace Ousmane Dembele. However, he regained his top form in 2023, finishing his debut season with 22 goal contributions across all competitions and a La Liga title.
8. Miralem Pjanic – €60m (2020)
Pjanic was a fine central midfielder with a keen eye for a pass, but the Bosnian had just turned 30 years old months before Barca forked out €60 million for his signature. The Bosnia international played 30 times during his one season at Barcelona, making more than half of those appearances from the bench. He then spent the 2021/2022 on loan at Besiktas before joining United Arab Emirates side Sharjah FC on a free transfer.
7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic – €69.5m (2009)
Barcelona not only paid €69.5 million to Inter Milan for Ibra, they also used a world-class forward in Samuel Eto’o as make-weight in the deal. The Swede was expected to be the final piece of Pep Guardiola’s puzzle, however, their relationship quickly deteriorated. After just one season at the club, Ibrahimovic moved on and later played for AC Milan, PSG, Manchester United, and LA Galaxy before retiring in 2023.
6. Luis Suarez – €81.72m (2014)
The Uruguayan missed the start of the 2014/2015 season due to suspension after biting Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup, but once he made his Barcelona debut, there was no looking back for Suarez. He quickly formed a lethal partnership with Neymar and Lionel Messi, scoring 198 goals in 283 appearances, which places him third among the club’s all-time goalscorers. He helped the Blaugrana to four La Liga titles, four Copa del Reys, the Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
5. Frenkie de Jong – €86m (2019)
De Jong turned down offers from Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, choosing instead to join Barcelona for a fee of €86 million. Initially, he struggled to meet expectations and was strongly linked with a move to Manchester United during the summer of 2022. However, the Netherlands international stayed at Barcelona and became a key player in their 2022/2023 La Liga title-winning campaign.
4. Neymar – €88m (2013)
Barcelona initially claimed they paid €57 million to sign the Brazilian from Santos FC but reports later emerged the transfer fee was €88 million. Neymar still proved to be worth every penny as he registered 105 goals and 76 assists during four trophy-laden years at Camp Nou. Barcelona then made a huge profit by selling him to Paris Saint-Germain for €222 million, which to date remains the highest-ever transfer fee paid for a footballer. In 2023, he signed a lucrative deal with Al-Hilal. Unfortunately, the majority of his debut campaign was spent on the sidelines.
3. Antoine Griezmann – €120m (2019)
After failing to sign Griezmann in 2018, Barcelona renewed their pursuit in 2019, activating the €120 million release clause in his Atletico Madrid contract. However, he struggled to reproduce his Atletico form at the Camp Nou, managing just 35 goals and 17 assists in 102 appearances for Barcelona. The Frenchman has since returned to the Spanish capital where he now appears to be hitting his best form again.
2. Ousmane Dembele – €135m (2017)
Barcelona identified Dembele as their ideal replacement for Neymar and splashed a whooping €135 million to acquire the Frenchman from Borussia Dortmund. However, he battled with inconsistency at Camp Nou and was further hampered by recurring injuries which caused him to miss more than 100 games for Barcelona. The 26-year-old began to find his form under Xavi but eventually followed Neymar’s path, joining PSG in a €50 million move in 2023.
1. Philippe Coutinho – €135m (2018)
After Dembele struggled to fill Neymar’s shoes during his first six months at Barcelona, largely due to injury, the Blaugrana attempted to solve the issue by splashing out on Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool. The transfer proved disastrous for Barca as the Brazilian failed to make an impact at the Camp Nou and even played a part in knocking them out of the Champions League in 2020 while on loan at Bayern Munich. In the summer of 2022, he completed a permanent move to Aston Villa for €20 million.
