Barcelona sell Tommy Marqués for €11 million. Bringing him back will cost €60 million
FC Barcelona have officially sold Tommy Marqués to SC Braga. The 19-year-old midfielder spent eleven years at the club, made two first-team appearances and will now bring in a fixed fee of €11 million. Another €1 million may follow in performance-related bonuses.
For a player who was seen more frequently on the squad list than on the pitch, that is very good money. Barcelona have also retained a buy-back option and a percentage of any future profit. The arrangement looks perfectly sensible until the price of a possible return enters the conversation.
If Barça eventually decide that they want Marqués back, they will have to pay €60 million. The club have therefore sold their academy graduate for €11 million while securing the right to recover him for more than five times that amount. Control over his future has been retained. It is simply available in the premium package.
SC Braga also confirmed that Barcelona will receive 20 per cent of the profit from a future sale. The Portuguese club have acquired full ownership of the player, who has signed a contract running until 2031 and will wear the number 16 shirt.
Marqués joined La Masia in the summer of 2015. He progressed through the academy, represented the youth teams and Barça Atlètic, and made his senior debut against Mallorca in February. He later featured against Deportivo Alavés. Those two appearances proved to be the entirety of his first-team career in Barcelona.
The midfielder had previously been considered a possible option for Hansi Flick’s squad. Increased competition in midfield, the arrival of Rodri and the club’s need to generate further transfer income changed the situation. Barcelona chose guaranteed money now over the possibility that Marqués might eventually establish himself in the team.
It would be difficult to describe the deal as a financial failure. Receiving €11 million for a player with two senior appearances is significant business. For SC Braga, Marqués represents one of the most expensive signings in the club’s history. One of the players who cost them more up front was another former Barcelona prospect, Pau Víctor.
The Portuguese club appear to have created a dedicated department for players who run out of space in Catalonia. Barcelona receive cash, Braga receive a young midfielder and Marqués should finally receive a genuine opportunity to play.
If the Spaniard fails to fulfil his potential, Barça will be able to point towards an excellent sale. If he develops into a top player, the club will remind everyone that a buy-back clause was included. Finding the €60 million can wait. That will be a problem for the Barcelona of the future, and it has plenty of experience dealing with decisions made by the Barcelona of the past.
