Barcelona president Laporta defends transfer policy

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has reaffirmed claims of rejecting a massive offer for Lamine Yamal over the summer.

Posted Friday, October 18, 2024 by Tribalfootball.com

Laporta argues the La Masia production line has eased the need to go to market to strengthen the squad this season.

He told Barca One: "I don't like to manage by looking in the rearview mirror. When we arrived, things were really bad, to be honest. We were in bankruptcy , but we've improved. We've increased income, we've reduced spending, we've lowered the wage bill by 170 million euros... You have to have a lot of negotiating ability to make this reduction. We also know how to sell players for a value of 80 million euros for sporting reasons.

"We're a buying club with common sense and responsibility. What we have that no one else has is La Masia, which produces great talent that ends up playing in the first team. I already said that La Masia would be the nuclear centre of our project and that is being achieved. We are keeping an eye on the market, but first we look at home."

"There are those who think that they have been made to balance the result, but that is not the case. The sale of players that we have made has been for sporting reasons. (Ousmane) Dembele, (Marc) Guiu... As at Barca you are nowhere. We know how to sell and whoever comes to buy players will have to make a statement. We want those who want to play here to stay. They came to buy Lamine from me for €250 million and I said no... Forbes values us much more now than last year.

"We didn't want to because we thought we had to keep the team. I don't think we were wrong. (Hansi) Flick is getting a lot out of many of these players. (Ilkay) Gundogan has left, but (Dani) Olmo has come. There are players who perform better, like Raphinha or (Robert) Lewandowski. We are happy. But those who want to stay will stay at Barca."