Barcelona’s doomed signings from 2023-24: What happened next? Five out of six already GONE

Amid overspending on overpriced and underperforming players, falling behind rivals Real Madrid in the battle for Spanish supremacy and pulling more ‘levers’ than a hyperactive railway signalman, Barcelona are a club who have seemed in perpetual turmoil for several years.

And this summer the 27-time La Liga champions have delivered another prime example of their basket-case business acumen through their transfer market outgoings.

Last season, Barcelona signed six first-team players between permanent summer acquisitions, loans and one pricey January addition. Now, as the final days of the transfer window approach, just one of those will still be with the club for the new campaign.

So what became of Barcelona’s transfer class of 2023-24?

Ilkay Gundogan

Signed on a free from Manchester City at the expiry of his contract with the Premier League’s dominant force, Ilkay Gundogan arrived in Catalonia having just captained Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Blues to a Treble of league, FA Cup and Champions League.

The 33-year-old made a bright start to his Barca career when he fired his new side into an early lead against Real Madrid at the Estadi Olimpic Luis Companys – Barcelona’s temporary home while the Camp Nou is renovated – on 28 October. But Madrid went on to win that Clasico thanks to a late strike from their own recent marquee midfield arrival, Jude Bellingham. It’s fair to say the pair enjoyed markedly differing fortunes across their maiden La Liga seasons.

Gundogan went on to play 36 of Barcelona’s 38 La Liga fixtures as the Catalan giants finished a distant second to Madrid in the title race, 10 points behind their bitter enemies from the capital.

And despite his first year with the club largely being considered a letdown, Gundogan was still impressively productive, delivering five league goals and a career-best nine assists.

But as the 2024-25 season began, rumours began to circulate that the former Borussia Dortmund man was unhappy at Barca and wanted to leave, and that new manager Hansi Flick was happy to let him go. And so Gundogan has sealed a switch to City, returning to the club on a free a little over a year after he left.

GO DEEPER – How Ilkay Gundogan fits back in at Man City after securing Pep Guardiola reunion

Oriol Romeu

A graduate of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy system, Oriol Romeu left the Camp Nou in search of first-team football after making just one senior league appearance for the club.

He joined Chelsea in 2011 but it was at Southampton after a 2015 move that he established himself as a defensive midfielder of top-flight quality, making 217 Premier League appearances over a seven-year spell at St. Mary’s.

Following an impressive season back in La Liga with newly promoted Girona in 2022-23, Barcelona moved to re-sign Romeu last summer, forking out a modest €3.4 million to secure his services.

But the 32-year-old Catalan midfielder made just 11 La Liga starts for the Blaugrana, finding himself firmly behind the likes of Gundogan, Frenkie De Jong and Pedri in the pecking order.

Romeu has returned to Girona on loan for the 2023-24 season.

Vitor Roque

By far Barcelona’s most expensive signing of last season, Vitor Roque arrived from Athletico Paranaense for €30 million in January.

Perhaps looking to emulate Real Madrid’s captures of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo for huge fees as teenagers, betting big on the Brazilian wonderkids flourishing into stars, Barca paid €30 million – with, staggeringly, up to a further €31 million in add-ons – to acquire the then-18-year-old striker.

A one-cap Brazil international, Roque had enjoyed a breakout 2023 campaign with Paranaense, scoring 21 goals in 45 all-competitions appearances.

But the youngster was unable to translate that form to the Spanish top flight, struggling to establish himself in the Barca attack and notching just twice in 16 appearances over the second half of the season.

Roque was the subject of interest from Sporting CP with Barca reportedly close to cutting their losses on the Brazilin teenager after handing his No.19 squad number to Lamine Yamal for the new season. But instead they are now set to maintain a long-term interest in Roque, with a loan move to Real Betis said to be close.

Joao Felix

A deadline day arrival on September 1, Barca signed Joao Felix from La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid on a season-long loan.

The silky Portuguese forward became Atleti’s costliest-ever signing when Los Colchoneros paid €126 million to purchase him from Benfica as a teenager in 2019.

But for all his obvious talent, Felix failed to live up to expectations in Madrid and underwhelmed on loan with Chelsea during the 2022-23 season.

He fared no better with Barcelona, either. The 41-cap Portugal star started just 18 league games in Catalonia, scoring seven goals and providing three assists. After returning to Atletico at the end of his loan, Felix has since been sold to Chelsea for €52 million.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive signings in LaLiga history, including massive Real Madrid, Barcelona deals

Joao Cancelo

Felix wasn’t the only big-name Portuguese player to arrive at Barca in the final hours of the 2023 summer transfer window. The Blaugrana also sealed a move to take Joao Cancelo on loan from Manchester City after the full-back had spent the second half of the previous campaign with Bayern Munich.

The versatile defender became a fixture of Xavi’s Barca side, playing 42 times in all competitions, scoring four goals and providing five assists.

But no permanent Barca move materialised for Cancelo after his loan period expired. After returning to City, the 30-year-old is close to finalising a £34 million move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal.

Inigo Martinez

Like Gundogan, centre-back Inigo Martinez was another free signing for the cash-strapped Catalans, arriving from Athletic Bilbao.

The commanding defender – who’d spent his entire career to that point in the Basque region, having begun with Real Sociedad – came in as a La Liga veteran with more than 450 appearances to his name. The 33-year-old arrived with the intent of stabilising the Barca backline.

But foot, hamstring and bicep injuries limited Martinez to just 20 La Liga starts and Barca finished the season having shipped 18 more goals than Madrid.

Of all the players to have arrived at the Estadi Olimpic Luis Companys last season, though, Martinez looks set to have the chance to improve upon his debut Blaugrana campaign as he remains with the club. He played the full 90 minutes in Barcelona’s season-opening 2-1 victory over Valencia.

READ NEXT: The 10 most expensive Barcelona transfers of all time and how they fared: Coutinho, Dembele, Neymar…