Ranked: Every Barcelona player by their release clause
The 2021 summer transfer window was a wild one and Barcelona are a club feeling the effects more than most.
Ronald Koeman had to oversee a lorry load of departures to deal with the club’s financial problems, with the biggest being Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona after 21 years, eventually joining Paris Saint-Germain. Just one year ago Messi had handed in a transfer request but, with his contract up, the Barcelona legend wanted to sign a new deal only to be scuppered by the Blaugrana’s inability to fit him on their wage bill.
That same reason also saw the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Miralem Pjanic and various fringe players leave, while some remaining stars had to take pay cuts so Barcelona could register their summer arrivals.
So, with Griezmann and Messi now gone, who has Barcelona’s biggest release clause – which Spanish clubs are obliged to include in all contracts?
Find out below, where we’ve ranked every Barcelona player ranked by their release clause, from lowest to highest (excluding Luuk de Jong and Yusuf Demir who are only on loan).
19=. Moussa Wague
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 05/08/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €100m
Moussa Wague initially joined Barcelona’s B team in 2018 but was moved up to the senior squad ahead of the 2019/20 season. He hasn’t had the best of times at the club and is not part of their La Liga squad for the season, but remains part of the club with a release clause of €100m.
19=. Ronald Araujo
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 29/08/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €100m
Ronald Araujo joined Barcelona’s B team in 2018 from Uruguayan side Boston River but was still given a €100m release clause. The 21-year-old made his first-team debut as a sub in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Sevilla in October 2019 but was sent off after just 14 minutes on the pitch. Araujo was then handed his first start in the 4-0 win over Real Mallorca in June 2020, becoming a regular starter last season.
19=. Riqui Puig
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 05/01/2021
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €100m
Regarded by some as the future of Barcelona’s midfield, Riqui Puig became a regular feature for the club in the second half of 2019/20 but has been scarcely used under Ronald Koeman.
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Claim Here19=. Sergio Aguero
Position: Striker
Contract signed: 01/07/2021
Contract until: 30/06/2022
Release clause: €100m
One of the summer arrivals, despite his goalscoring prowess Aguero’s release clause at Barcelona is a low €100m – not that anyone would pay that for a 33-year-old who has become injury-prone.
19=. Oscar Mingueza
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 30/04/2021
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €100m
One of Barcelona’s bright young defenders, Mingueza came through La Masia to play 27 times in La Liga last season, starting 23.
18. Neto
Position: Goalkeeper
Contract signed: 27/06/2019
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €200m
Despite being signed to play back up to Ter Stegen, Neto has a fairly high release clause of €200m.
16=. Clement Lenglet
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 20/10/2020
Contract until: 30/06/2026
Release clause: €300m
Lenglet has made 138 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona since joining in 2018 and will be looking to improve on his partnership alongside Gerard Pique with a €300m release clause.
16=. Martin Braithwaite
Position: Striker
Contract signed: 20/02/2020
Contract until: 30/06/2024
Release clause: €300m
An emergency signing from Leganes in February following the season-ending injury of Ousmane Dembele, Martin Braithwaite joined Barcelona after the club triggered his €18m release clause. Ensuring the same couldn’t happen to them, Barca slapped a €300m clause on the Dane.
10=. Eric Garcia
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 01/07/2021
Contract until: 30/06/2026
Release clause: €400m
Eric Garcia was linked with Barcelona for some time, having left La Masia for Manchester City in 2017, and finally made his return in the summer. The 20-year-old is one Barcelona rate for the future and, as such, they added a €400m release clause into his first contract with the club.
10=. Sergino Dest
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 01/10/2020
Contract until: 30/06/2025
Release clause: €400m
Another defender rated for the future, Sergino Dest was signed from Ajax last summer and made 30 appearances for Barcelona in La Liga, becoming their first-choice right-back. The American’s release clause of €400m will ensure other teams have a tough time trying to steal him away from Barcelona.
10=. Frenkie de Jong
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 20/10/2020
Contract until: 30/06/2026
Release clause: €400m
One of the best young midfielders in the world, Barcelona have made sure they will not lose Frenkie de Jong easily, with a €400m release clause.
10=. Philippe Coutinho
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 08/01/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €400m
Philippe Coutinho was a massive signing when he joined Barcelona from Liverpool in January of 2018 and the club were so confident in his ability that they put a €400m release clause into his contract to ensure they wouldn’t have another Neymar situation. Things haven’t exactly worked out as planned for the Brazilian, but he and his release clause remain.
10=. Ousmane Dembele
Position: Forward
Contract signed: 25/08/2017
Contract until: 30/06/2022
Release clause: €400m
The former Borussia Dortmund man is one expected to be at Barcelona for years, signing a five-year deal in 2017 with a €400m release clause.
While injuries and misuse have hampered his development so far at the Nou Camp, there are still high expectations for the young Frenchman.
10=. Memphis Depay
Position: Forward
Contract signed: 01/07/2021
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €400m
The biggest of the 2021 summer arrivals, Memphis Depay is about to hit his peak and will be tasked with leading the Barcelona line for years to come following their fire sale. Despite having just a two-year deal, the Dutchman’s release clause is €400m.
3=. Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Position: Goalkeeper
Contract signed: 20/10/2020
Contract until: 30/06/2025
Release clause: €500m
Originally a back-up for Claudio Bravo, Marc-Andre ter Stegen became Barcelona’s number one goalkeeper when the Chilean signed for Manchester City in 2016.
Ter Stegen was then offered a new contract by Barcelona in 2017, with a €180m release clause, and has turned into one of the best goalkeepers in the world. As a result, Barcelona once again renewed his contract with the club until 2025 this time bumping his release clause all the way up to €500m.
3=. Jordi Alba
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 28/02/2019
Contract until: 30/06/2024
Release clause: €500m
Barcelona’s number one left-back since signing from Valencia in 2012, Alba’s importance to the club was stressed when he was offered a new five-year deal in February 2019 – less than a month before his 30th birthday.
With a ridiculous release clause of €500m, Alba has played 391 times for Barcelona so far, scoring 22 goals.
3=. Francisco Trincão
Position: Forward
Contract signed: 01/07/2020
Contract until: 30/06/2025
Release clause: €500m
Francisco Trincão may not currently be at Barcelona, having joined Wolves on loan for the season, but he remains contracted to the club and has a release clause of €500m – though Wolves do have an option to buy him at the end of the campaign.
3=. Sergio Busquets
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 27/09/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €500m
Arguably the best central midfielder in world football over the past decade, Sergio Busquets came from Barcelona’s academy to become an integral part of the club.
Such is the Spaniard’s importance that he was given a new five-year contract in 2018 with a release clause of €500m – a big hands-off warning from Barcelona.
3=. Samuel Umtiti
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 03/06/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €500m
Signed from Lyon in 2016, the French centre-back has established himself as a first-choice defender for Barcelona in his four years at the club. Umtiti signed a new contract in 2018 taking his release clause up to a massive €500 million, pricing out any moves abroad for the time being.
3=. Sergi Roberto
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 19/01/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2022
Release clause: €500m
The scorer of a historic goal in 2017 when Barcelona came back from 4-0 down on aggregate to beat PSG 6-5 in the Champions League, Sergi Roberto has found himself to be a big part of the club.
His importance was highlighted in January 2018 when his new contract saw a massive €500m release clause put in for the La Masia graduate.
3=. Gerard Pique
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 20/10/2020
Contract until: 30/06/2024
Release clause: €500m
Barcelona’s best central defender and a key part of the club’s identity, Gerard Pique was rewarded for his service to the club with a new four-year deal in 2020 almost ensuring he would end his career in Spain. And with things so uncertain at Barcelona, Pique will be a good constant as they try to get the club back on track.
1=. Pedri
Position: Midfield
Contract signed: 14/10/2021
Contract until: 30/06/2026
Release clause: €1bn
Joining Riqui Puig in being the future of Barcelona’s midfield, Pedri was integral to Koeman’s side last season and played a whopping 52 matches for the club despite being just 18. He was also key to Spain’s run to the Euro 2020 semi-finals and Olympic silver over the summer.
In fact, so highly do they rate Pedri that, Barcelona recently stuck a €1bn release clause into his newest contract which will keep him with the club until 2026 at the earliest (with an option for another two years). Yes, that’s ONE BILLION. Dr. Evil would be proud.
1=. Ansu Fati
Position: Winger
Contract signed: 20/10/2021
Contract until: 30/06/2027
Release clause: €1bn
Ansu Fati is Barcelona’s new No.10 and the future of the club having been promoted from the famed La Masia academy. He was rewarded for his performances across the 2019/20 campaign with a new contract until 2022, and the option to extend it for a further two years with an initial release clause of €170m.
But that has been gazumped with Fati joining Pedri as the second player with a €1bn release clause at Barcelona, while also pledging his future to the club until 2027. Given the state the club is in, these two players signing new contracts with big clauses shows how loyal they are to Barcelona and how vital they are to the future.
