Barcelona 19-year-old Tommy Marques leaves for Sporting Braga as first-team route closes

Barcelona have agreed to sell young midfielder Tommy Marques to Sporting Braga for €10m plus additional incentives, bringing an end to the 19-year-old’s time at the Catalan club.

The agreement, reported by The Athletic, is part of Barcelona’s efforts to reshape their squad before the start of the new season. Marques had risen from the reserve side to make appearances for the senior team, but his opportunities became increasingly limited under manager Hansi Flick.

Marques began last season with Barcelona’s reserve team before being given a chance to train and play with the first team. However, he was unable to establish himself in Flick’s plans, particularly during the club’s preparations for the new campaign.

The midfielder featured for only 28 minutes in Barcelona’s pre-season match against Udinese in the Udine Triangular. Barcelona lost that game 1-0, and the limited involvement further increased uncertainty over Marques’ future as the start of competitive football approached.

His senior Barcelona debut came in February last year, when he was introduced for the final six minutes of a La Liga match against Mallorca at Camp Nou. Barcelona won that fixture 3-0.

Marques made one more appearance for the first team towards the end of the season. He came on as a substitute for three minutes against Alaves in the 36th round of La Liga, a match Barcelona lost 1-0. By then, however, Barcelona had already secured the league title.

The move to Portugal will give Marques the opportunity to continue his development at Sporting Braga, where he will find a familiar Spanish influence. The club is managed by Spanish coach Carlos Vicens and has five Spanish players in its squad.

Those players are Victor Gomez, Sergio Barcia, Gabri, Fran Navarro and Pau Victor, the former Barcelona forward.

Marques’ departure follows a brief first-team breakthrough at Barcelona. After making his senior debut, he remained on the fringes of Flick’s squad and was unable to turn occasional opportunities into a regular role.

The €10m agreement, together with the additional incentives included in the deal, allows Barcelona to conclude the player’s spell at the club while continuing their wider work on reorganising the squad ahead of the new season. For Marques, the transfer to Sporting Braga represents a chance to secure more consistent first-team football after making only two senior appearances for Barcelona.