Neymar Jr’s move from Barcelona to PSG in 2017 shocked the whole world and in some way started the Blaugrana’s downfall from there onwards.
The Spanish giants received €222 million for Neymar, which was a world record fee, and that still stands to this day. Players like Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele were bought for more than €100 million to replace the Brazilian.
However, apart from replacing Neymar, they have also bought some of the most prolific players after he departed from the club.
Top Transfers Made by Barcelona after Neymar’s departure
10. Paulinho
Barcelona signed Paulinho from Chinese Super League outfit Guangzhou Evergrande in 2017 for €40 million. Paulinho contributed by scoring nine league goals for the club and also won La Liga in the following year.
The Brazilian quickly became a fan favorite. However, in a bizarre turn of events, he then moved back to Guangzhou just one year later.
9. Abde Ezzalzouli
The winger was signed from Hercules for a nominal fee of around €2 million in 2021 and went straight into the Barcelona B team. However, he has only made 10 appearances for the first team, he has already netted a goal for the club in a game against Osasuna.
In 2022, he joined Osasuna on a season-long loan deal in which he found the back of the net on four occasions in 28 appearances.
Premier League clubs are interested in the Moroccan, but Barca will be keen to keep him in their plans.
8. Jules Kounde
Kounde joined Barcelona from Sevilla in the summer of 2022 but has played as a right-back most of the time. He also played as a right-back for France at the 2022 World Cup due to his impressive performances for the Spanish club.
Koundé missed the first two league games of the 2022/23 campaign as he was not registered to play. There is still a lot more to come from the former Bordeaux man as well with him being only 24 years old.
7. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The Gabon international’s spell at Barcelona was very impressive, however, he only spent six months at the club after joining them from Arsenal in 2022 on a free transfer.
The striker hit the ground running and managed to score 11 goals in just 18 games averaging more than a goal every two games. He joined Chelsea in the summer of 2022 and has struggled since then.
It may have been a wise move to remain at the club instead of moving back to the Premier League.
6. Ousmane Dembele
Ousmane Dembele was seen as a direct replacement for Neymar, and a massive fee of €105 million was paid to Borussia Dortmund in 2017. However, injuries have halted him during his stint at Camp Nou.
Dembele has spent six years at the club now and is still an important player in the plans of Xavi. He is also close to renewing his contract, which expires in 2024.
The 26-year-old winger still has time to prove any doubters wrong and looks set to be allowed to do so.
5. Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski’s signing from Bayern Munich in 2022 looked like the most risk-free signing any club could realistically make. Having scored 344 goals in 375 games for Bayern, it was apparent that he would score goals.
Lewandowski scored 33 goals in 46 appearances to prove he still can be clinical in front of goal despite entering his mid-thirties.
The Polish striker also helped Barcelona to win the 2022/23 La Liga title.
4. Frenkie De Jong
The Dutchman joined Barcelona in 2019 and followed in the footsteps of icons such as Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard and Ronald Koeman.
He was one of the most sought-after midfielders in world football back in 2019 after starring in Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-final.
Manchester United tried to lure him away from Barca in 2022, but the midfielder never wanted to leave the club. De Jong is likely to be the heir of Barcelona’s midfield for the next few years.
3. Andreas Christensen
The Danish defender has changed his career after his move from Chelsea on a free transfer. Christensen was not at his best for Chelsea in his final season with the club, with many errors and a lack of confidence creeping into his game.
Moreover, many expected him to be a rotational option at Barcelona, but he featured in 23 games as the team improved defensively after his arrival.
He was so impressive that big-money signing Kounde was moved to the right-back position to accommodate Christensen.
2. Pedri
Pedri was signed from Las Palmas in 2020 when Ronal Koeman was Barca’s Coach. He has become an integral part of the midfield for both his club and country in less than three years since making this move.
The Spaniard looked set to be the future of the team for the next decade at least. He can control possession, and he doesn’t lose the ball. The midfielder also controls the tempo of the game.
He will turn 21 years old just before the halfway point of the upcoming season and has the potential to star for the club for the next decade and beyond.
1. Ronald Araujo
The Uruguayan was picked up for a very small fee back in 2018, and looks to be one of the biggest bargains in recent years. He has become one of the most talked about players in his position in the space of only five years.
Araujo is tall, quick, powerful and intelligent. He has all the tools to become the best centre-back in the world in the coming years.
A disastrous start to his career in Spain saw the defender sent off on his debut but has since made over 100 appearances for the club. He has been used in a right-back role in certain games to try and contain wingers such as Marcus Rashford and Vinicius Jr.
Xavi has helped him improve this ability, but he is expected to only get better with more time and experience under his belt.
