Barcelona have already spent €165 million (£138 million) on signings this summer to reclaim their position as one of the top teams in the world.
The Camp Nou team is in financial trouble, with debts over €1 billion, but has surrendered 10% of their La Liga TV rights for the next 25 years in exchange for immediate cash, forgoing future earnings.
Five players have already joined the Blaugrana during the summer transfer window as a result of their decision to spend their newly acquired funds on big-name talents rather than pay off their debt.
However, just two of these recent additions didn’t incur a transfer charge. Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen both joined Camp Nou on free transfers after their contracts with Chelsea and AC Milan, respectively, expired.
Both players signed four-year contracts, keeping them tied to the team through the year 2026.
Barcelona has added Christensen and Kessie to their roster, as well as three other A-list players for a combined €50 million or more.
Long-term objectives Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Sevilla defender Jules Kounde have all been signed by the Blaugrana.
Raphinha was acquired by Barcelona for €65 million (£55 million) from Leeds United after the Brazilian turned down offers from both Arsenal and Chelsea to sign with the Spanish club.
He is anticipated to compete for playing time on the right wing with Ousmane Dembele and Ferran Torres after scoring 10 Premier League goals in the 2021/22 season. During Barcelona’s 6-0 preseason triumph over Inter Miami, Raphinha scored on his club debut.
Lewandowski’s protracted transfer from Bayern Munich to Barcelona has also been finalized. The Polish international paid a transfer fee of €45 million plus an additional €5 million.
He will be reunited with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, his former teammate at Borussia Dortmund; nonetheless, the two may compete for the starting position in the middle of the field for Xavi’s squad.
After rejecting a more lucrative offer from Chelsea, Kounde moved to Barcelona. Barcelona paid Sevilla an initial €50 million with an additional €5 million in add-ons.
Summer signings by Barcelona
| Player | From | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Raphinha | Leeds | €65m |
| Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | €50m |
| Jules Kounde | Sevilla | €50m |
| Franck Kessie | AC Milan | Free |
| Andreas Christensen | Chelsea | Free |
Who tops the summer spending league?
Barcelona is topping the list with a total of €165 million (£138 million) spent so far, with Bayern Munich following after spending £124 million on transfer fees so far.
Arsenal are the third-highest spenders so far this summer with £119 Million while Manchester City are the fourth-highest spenders with £98 Million so far.
| Club | Transfer spending (£m) |
|---|---|
| Barcelona | 138 |
| Bayern Munich | 124 |
| Arsenal | 119 |
| Manchester City | 98 |
| Leeds United | 95 |
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