Barça lived another last day of the transfer market on the run. Adding, subtracting, giving up and transferring players, he finally managed to win the battle against financial fair play to sign up everyone. Ansu Fati, Lenglet and Eric Garcia packed their bags. They went on loan to Brighton, Aston Villa and Girona. Abde also said goodbye definitively to Barça. He was transferred to Betis. These four players add to the transfer of Sergiño Dest to PSV and the transfers closed during the months of July and August of Dembélé to PSG for 35.4 million, Nico González to Porto for 8.4 million, Kessié to Al-Ahli de Saudi Arabia for 12.5 million and Collado and Umtiti to Betis and Lille after obtaining the freedom letter. Jordi Alba and Busquets have also left for Miami. In total there are 12 registered departures in this transfer market.
In return, Barça has welcomed five footballers. To the already signed Iñigo Martínez and Ilkay Gündogan who arrived at zero cost and Oriol Romeu, from Girona for 3.4 million euros, the Atlético de Madrid striker, João Félix and the long-awaited winger got on the Blaugrana boat at the last minute Manchester City right-hander João Cancelo. Both arrive on loan for one year without a purchase option. In total there are 19 players from the first team to which must be added the appearance of Lamine Yamal and Fermín López with a record from the subsidiary.
To close the arrival of João Félix and Cancelo, in addition to closing the pending registrations, the president Joan Laporta together with some members of his board, contributed 12 million to LaLiga. Half in the form of a guarantee and another six in the form of promissory notes. This movement was made to compensate the 40 million that the German fund Libero had to pay in the last two weeks. “Nothing has been broken. Libero have asked for more days to be able to pay the payment ”, they pointed out from the club first thing in the morning. It was the first movement to activate everything that was to come.
The first move to be completed was the loan of Clément Lenglet to Aston Villa for one year and without a purchase option. The Birmingham club assumes a small part of his record, which this year is 16 million euros, since the Frenchman must begin to receive the deferred amount in 2020 when, like Piqué, De Jong and Ter Stegen, he negotiated the extension of his contract until 2026. This is the second loan with a return ticket for Lenglet, who played for Tottenham last year.
The next was Ansu Fati. The youth squad player changes Barça's 10 number for Brighton's 31 for one year. The assignment was also closed without a purchase option. “Brighon fans, let's go with everything”, said the footballer. He leaves to gain confidence. He has not achieved it with the Blaugrana elastic since he was injured in November 2020 in the meniscus of his knee. By then he had already been with Jorge Mendes for five months, the head agent of this Barça who also represents Alejandro Balde and Lamine Yamal, two players who will sign their renewal next week until 2028 and 2026. Balde was also registered yesterday as a player of the first team.
They are not the only ones from Mendes. The super agent also has some influence in the transfer of Abde to whom he offers advisory services. The Moroccan winger signed his transfer to Betis at the last minute, whose sports director is Ramon Planes, the person who brought him to Barça in September 2021 from Hércules and with whom he maintains a very good relationship. To sign the Blaugrana club for him, he paid the 2 million euros of his clause on the last day of the market. Now Betis pays 50% of the soccer player's rights for 7.5 million euros and reserves a repurchase right and 50% of a future sale. To close the agreement, the Betic club also had to resort to the guarantee strategy.
Xavi was not in favor of Abde leaving Barça. This is how Deco, the sports director, told his agent Javier Garrido in a meeting they held last week. However, Abde was disappointed not to have minutes against Villarreal. The irruption of Lamine Yamal has also made him reflect. Yesterday afternoon he no longer trained with Barcelona.
Yes, Eric Garcia did. The only one not represented by Mendes. His agent, Iván de la Peña, negotiated his loan to Girona for one year. Xavi didn't want the man from Martorell to leave Barça either, but Eric insisted. He was the fifth center back in the squad behind Araújo, Koundé, Christensen, Marcos Alonso and the recently signed Íñigo Martínez, still without a medical discharge and registered at the last minute. Before the name of the second goalkeeper Iñaki Peña appeared. There is also Gavi. The latter by judicial order and in a precautionary manner. We will be prepared if there are judicial changes ”, pointed out sources from the club.
Around 6:00 p.m., João Félix and Cancelo, also represented by Mendes, went to the sports complex to undergo a medical check-up and chat with Xavi. Both arrive on loan until the end of the course, without a purchase option and lowering their file. In addition, before leaving Madrid, João Félix, who did not enter into Simeone's plans and who did not finish convincing Xavi either, extended his contract with Atlético until 2029. Both will be presented this morning before the training session scheduled for 10:30 a.m. .
