"Barcelona's former sporting director Jordi Cruyff has lifted the lid on one of the most decisive transfer dilemmas the club faced, revealing that during the summer of 2022, the Catalan giants were weighing up two very different profiles for the right-wing position. At the time, Barça were operating under strict financial conditions, which meant every move had to be calculated with long-term planning in mind. Cruyff explained that the club were caught between pursuing Leeds United star Raphinha or Ajax sensation Antony, a choice that ultimately shaped the squad's evolution under Xavi."
"Financial restrictions played a decisive role, something Cruyff highlighted when discussing Barça's limited room to manoeuvre. "And when you have a fair play issue, of course, Antony in the end went for much more money than anybody expected." A calculated bet on Raphinha"
"Barcelona eventually leaned toward Raphinha, who had already proven himself in the Premier League. With the English market offering higher resale guarantees, the club felt more protected in the event the move did not go as planned. Cruyff elaborated on the financial logic that shaped the final call. "But we really had to make choices based on, 'Okay, if he succeeds in the Premier League and things go wrong, we'll always get our money back.'" He also made it clear that both players were thoroughly examined, even though each represented a different type of investment and risk level."
In summer 2022 Barcelona faced a choice between signing Raphinha from Leeds United or Antony from Ajax for the right-wing position. Strict financial conditions and fair-play limitations forced the club to treat every transfer as a long-term financial decision. Antony’s eventual higher cost made him a less viable option under those constraints. Raphinha’s proven Premier League profile offered greater resale guarantees, reducing the financial risk if the signing did not meet expectations. The club evaluated both players thoroughly, weighing differing investment profiles and risk levels before deciding on the more economically secure option.
Read at Barca Universal
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