Report: From austerity to massive spending.. how Barcelona's markets have changed under Laporta?

Since Joan Laporta's return to the presidency of FC Barcelona in March 2021, the club has gone through various phases in the transfer market, starting with significant financial constraints, then witnessing the use of economic levers, culminating in the summer of 2026, which recorded the highest spending in Laporta's second term.

Barcelona has spent €528.4 million on signings, excluding variables, since Laporta's return, with a clear difference in the level of investment from season to season.

The 2021-2022 season has started off cautiously.

Barcelona spent €57.5 million in their first transfer window under Laporta, with the standout signing being Ferran Torres from Manchester City for €55 million, while the rest of the signings were made on free transfers.

2022-2023.. The economic cranes are changing the landscape.

The following season saw the biggest jump in spending ahead of the summer of 2026, with FC Barcelona spending €158 million on Raphinha, Jules Koundé, Robert Lewandowski, and Pablo Torre, while Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessié, Héctor Bellerín, and Marcos Alonso joined without transfer fees.

2023-2024.. Spending has decreased.

After significant investment last season, Barcelona has returned to a more cautious policy, spending only €33.4 million, with €30 million on Vitor Roque and €3.4 million on Oriol Romeu.

Dani Olmo is in the spotlight for the 2024-2025 season.

Spending has risen again to €57.5 million, with Dani Olmo's transfer from RB Leipzig being the standout deal, alongside Pau Victor, while other signings came without transfer fees or on loan.

The 2025-2026 transfer market is set to be the most austere.

The summer of 2025 was the least expensive, as FC Barcelona spent only €27.5 million to sign Juan García for €25 million and Rony Bardhi for €2.5 million, while Marcus Rashford arrived on loan from Manchester United.

2026-2027.. the largest spending during Laporta's tenure.

The summer of 2026 saw a significant shift, as FC Barcelona committed to paying €172.5 million fixed, without accounting for variables.

Anthony Gordon tops the transfer list with a fee of €70 million, potentially rising to €80 million. He is followed by Rodri, who has a fixed fee of €60 million, which could increase to €75 million.

FC Barcelona has signed Karim Adeyemi for a fixed fee of €22 million, with the deal potentially rising to €29 million. They have also acquired Jesse Bisiwu for €8.5 million, Dominik Livakovic for €2 million plus €500,000 in variables, and Gabriel Jesus for €10 million, with an additional €5 million in variables.

In contrast, João Cancelo has arrived on a free transfer, thus adding no transfer cost to the total expenditure.

With these figures, the stark contrast in Barcelona's policy over the past six years is evident, oscillating between austerity and massive investments. After spending €316.4 million between 2021 and 2025, the club added a fixed €172.5 million in the summer of 2026, bringing the total expenditure since Laporta's return to €528.4 million.