Barcelona has found itself at the center of yet another contractual blunder, one that has cost the club millions of euros and left them without a significant financial windfall from Nico Gonzalez’s high-profile transfer to Manchester City. What seemed like a straightforward deal with Porto in 2023 has now turned into a costly mistake, preventing the Catalan giants from capitalizing on the €60 million transfer fee paid by the English champions.
Despite initially securing a 40% sell-on clause and a €30 million buy-back option, Barcelona’s oversight in Gonzalez’s contract terms has led to substantial financial losses, with Porto maneuvering a way to reduce the club’s stake in the deal.
On the winter transfer window Deadline Day, Manchester City officially announced the signing of Nico Gonzalez from Porto for €60 million. The 23-year-old Spanish midfielder, who was once regarded as one of Barcelona’s brightest La Masía talents, is now set to play under Pep Guardiola, strengthening City’s midfield as they compete on multiple fronts.
For Guardiola, Gonzalez’s arrival is a strategic addition as the Citizens battle Real Madrid in the Champions League and continue their push in the Premier League and FA Cup. However, while Porto secured a massive transfer fee, Barcelona—despite their contractual clauses—failed to maximize their financial benefit from the deal.
Barcelona’s contract blunder: Costly miscalculation
Barcelona initially structured their deal with Porto to ensure future financial gains from Gonzalez’s potential sale. When they sold the midfielder in 2023 for €8.5 million, they included a 40% sell-on clause and a €30 million buy-back option, which was exercisable until June 2025.
However, before the 23-year-old’s move to Manchester City, Porto quietly activated a clause that significantly reduced Barca’s stake in any transfer profits. The Portuguese club paid just €3 million to the La Liga giant, which allowed them to cut the Blaugrana’s share in half—down to 20%—and simultaneously cancel their buy-back option.
Porto officially confirmed this maneuver in a statement: “FC Porto also informs that it has exercised in advance the option to purchase from Football Club Barcelona (“FC Barcelona”) 20% of the capital gains on the transfer, worth €3M (three million euros), retaining FC Barcelona’s right to only 20% of the capital gains on the transfer, also cancelling the buy-back option that FC Barcelona had on the player worth €30M (thirty million euros), exercisable until June 30, 2025.”
This contractual oversight meant that the Catalans ultimately missed out on over €7 million, receiving just €13.32 million instead of the €24 million they initially expected. More significantly, had they activated their buy-back option for €30 million, they could have immediately resold Gonzalez to Manchester City for €60 million, effectively doubling their earnings.
Barcelona’s pattern of poor financial decisions
This is not the first time Barcelona has found itself in a contractual misstep. In recent years, the club has struggled with financial mismanagement, poor transfer negotiations, and short-sighted decisions, often leading to avoidable financial losses.
This latest error with Gonzalez highlights a recurring issue at the club, where contract clauses are either poorly structured or not fully utilized. Given Barcelona’s ongoing financial struggles, missing out on an additional €11 million or more is a major setback—one that could have been avoided with better foresight and execution.
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