Why do FC Barcelona buy players who are not world-class but make them so?

Andrew Ness

Photographer

37w ago

They don't.

Barcelona, far more than other top clubs, either bring players through their academy, (Messi, Iniesta, Busquets) or buy in established internationals (Suarez, Mascherano, Turan)

Even when they bring in relatively young players they are clearly world class and almost always full internationals. Ter Stegen had over 100 appearances in the Bundesliga and would probably have been first choice for Germany if not for Neuer. Neymar had been first choice striker for Brazil for several years.

Bailey Bridge

3D Artist (2016-present)

10w ago

What you mean like Andre Gomes or Thomas Vermaelen?

To answer you question, they don’t. And I’m not too sure what grounds your basing this question off. Umiti wasn’t a world-class player at Lyon and still isn’t at Barca. Andre Gomes looked good at the Euros, but has proved to be nowhere near world-class for Barca. I can’t actually recall them ever playing Vermaelen.

In terms of the world class players they do have:

Messi: Academy Product - Didn’t buy

Neymar: Was already World-class at Santos thus the price

Suarez: Was already the best striker in the world at Liverpool

Iniesta: Academy Product

Pique: Academy Product (Spent sometime at United academy as well)

Jordi Alba is one of the only players that improved from being a good player to a world class player whilst playing for Barca, and even with this, it is possible he was already one of the best left backs in the world, being at Barca gave him a bit more freedom and/or drive.

Aakash S Jamadagni

Football fan and player.

37w ago

Who said so?

FC Barcelona have 4 or max 5 world class players. Messi, Neymar, Suarez, iniesta and maybe pique.They've only made Messi who he is. They buy world class players like Neymar and Suarez on a regular basis.

Mohit Kalekar

37w ago

Simple logic.

Consider the example of me buying a PC.

I buy a computer for cheap with moderate performance. Me being a computer engineer,enhance its performance through various methods .

What do I get?

A beast PC.

For how much?

Not much.

Time taken?

Months.

Same in the case of Barcelona.

Chrischamer

Football fan since I was 5

36w ago

If you buy world class players you will have to pay a lot. Barca buy players that have potential and buy them before they become world class to save money. The training system La Masia is also very good, which produced players like Messi and Iniesta.

Gus Martin

tens of thousands of hours in Football Manager

37w ago

Good investment.

Buying world class players costs an arm and a leg.

Buying cheap players and turning them into world class means you get all the money you spent on them back when you inevitably sell them.