Barcelona turn to La Masia graduates for a new transfer strategy

Barcelona are preparing to follow Real Madrid’s example by retaining a share of future transfer fees from players developed at La Masia, according to a report on Sunday.

The Catalan club believes its academy can become a more reliable source of revenue and plans to keep 50% of the rights to players who leave, in a move designed to create additional income in the medium term.

The approach is modelled on a strategy currently benefiting Real Madrid. The Spanish club has spent heavily in this summer’s transfer market as it looks to provide Jose Mourinho with a squad capable of challenging for both the La Liga title and the Champions League.

Real Madrid’s significant spending has been helped by the money it has recovered from its academy system. The club has generated almost €200m this summer through the sale of current players and transfers involving footballers in whose future rights it still holds a 50% share.

That income is expected to rise further. Como defender Jacobo Ramon and Almeria midfielder Sergio Arribas are both likely to bring in substantial sums, illustrating how the model can provide continued financial returns after academy graduates have moved on.

Cadena SER reported that Barcelona now intends to adopt a similar arrangement. The club recognises the quality of the young players emerging from La Masia and wants to make better use of them as a financial asset, rather than losing the opportunity to benefit from their future development.

The first example is expected to be Jofre Torrents, with the young full-back set to join Ajax.

Torrents is expected to move on loan with an option for Ajax to buy him for €5m. Should that clause be activated and he remain permanently at the Dutch club, Barcelona will retain 50% of his future transfer rights.

The agreement would also include a €20m buy-back option for Barcelona, giving the club a route to bring Torrents back if he develops into a leading player and the club decides it wants him to return.

Barcelona is expected to use the same structure for other locally developed players who are sold. Rather than ending its involvement when a player leaves, the club would maintain a financial stake in his future and preserve the possibility of re-signing him.

The policy is intended to secure additional revenue over the medium term, while also protecting Barcelona’s interests if one of its former academy players becomes a star. It represents a significant change in how the club plans to manage departures from La Masia and reflects the growing importance of academy sales in the transfer market.

For Barcelona, the model offers two potential benefits: a continuing financial return from players it has trained and a mechanism to make their eventual return more straightforward. For Real Madrid, meanwhile, the same approach has already proven both innovative and highly profitable during this summer’s substantial recruitment drive.