5 players Barcelona should have never sold
Barcelona are one of the most successful European clubs in the history of the sport, having won a reported 97 titles in their 121-year-old history. Due to their glittering heritage, they have been able to harbor numerous superstars over the years. Even so, the Blaugrana have lost out on certain aces in the past, despite their willingness to retain the player in question.
Notable players that Barcelona failed to hold on to
The Spanish giants were at the center of the transfer that completely changed the dynamic of the transfer market. Barcelona failed miserably to thwart PSG's advancements for Neymar in 2017 and were forced to sell their star player for a record-shattering fee of €222 million in 2017.
🗣️Javier Tebas (La Liga President) : "Laporta signed players like Memphis, Aguero... if he hadn't signed those players, Messi could have continued."
Do you Think if Barcelona hadn't Made Those Free Transfers, Messi would still have been at FC Barcelona? 😓 https://t.co/w4X6iJvB2T
A similar incident occurred in 2000 when Real Madrid inexplicably snatched their talisman of the time, Luis Figo from right under their noses. However, Barcelona's inability to hold on to Lionel Messi is easily one of the most embarrassing moments in the club's history. Their financial limitations compelled the 26-time La Liga champions to let go of the most important player the club has, and probably ever will employ.
While Barcelona had little control over the aforementioned transfers, they have also authorized the ousting of numerous club legends. Expectedly, their short-sighted decision to sell valuable players has come back to haunt them on multiple occasions. With that notion on our minds, let's take a look at five players that Barcelona should have never sold:
#5 Arthur Melo to Juventus
In March of 2018, it was announced that Barcelona had reached an agreement with Gremio over the transfer of an unknown prospect known as Arthur Melo. By the looks of it, the transfer looked like a serious gamble taken by the Blaugrana since the total fee involved was in excess of €31 million.
However, all such doubts were answered as soon as Arthur stepped on the pitch wearing a Barcelona shirt. The Brazilian youngster turned out to be really impressive in the middle of the park, exuding the work rate of a seasoned professional. Aged just 21 at the time of his arrival, Arthur was quickly termed the future of Barcelona's midfield.
Juventus offered a Pjanic - Arthur swap, but Barcelona completely rejected the Brazilian's return.
— @Gazzetta_it https://t.co/9rGVaSyNpw
However, just two seasons and 72 games later, the sturdy playmaker was sold to Juventus for €72 million as part of a swap deal involving Miralem Pjanic. Barcelona's absurd decision to replace a promising 23-year-old with an aging midfielder in his 30s has proven to be disastrous for them. At the time of writing, Pjanic has been exiled to Besiktas on loan, while Barcelona continue to search for established players to add some quality to the team.
#4 Samuel Eto'o to Inter
Speaking of poor swap deals, Barcelona's decision to purchase Zlatan Ibrahimovic in exchange for Samuel Eto'o and €45 million is easily one of the worst deals in the club's history. Eto'o had already established himself as a world-beater at the time of his sale, making his ousting all the more baffling.
Impressed by Ibrahimovic's goalscoring prowess, then manager Pep Guardiola decided to axe the Cameroonian No.9 in order to lure his desired target. Subsequently, Eto'o was sold to Inter in 2009, despite recently winning the treble with Barcelona.
Samuel Eto'o's Barcelona career by numbers:
◉ 199 games
◉ 130 goals
◉ 8 trophies
Samuel Eto'o's Inter career by numbers:
◉ 102 games
◉ 53 goals
◉ 6 trophies
And a back-to-back treble that no one else has managed. 🏆🏆🏆 https://t.co/MR7bx6n14I
However, the African forward went on to have the last laugh as he became an integral cog in Jose Mourinho's Inter side that dominated Europe. While Eto'o was busy adding a second straight treble to his trophy cabinet, Barcelona struggled with the uncompromising Ibrahimovic. The big Swede was loaned out after a solitary season with the Blaugrana, inflicting a huge loss on the club.
Also read: 5 most underpaid Barcelona players right now