FC Barcelona player starring for new club on loan

FC Barcelona produces a lot of talent at their La Masia academy, and while some players like Lamine Yamal make the jump to the first team, others need to move away to find the minutes they need to continue their development.

Barcelona understand the economics of the player development side of the business. They understand that they can’t keep everyone and keep them happy, they also understand that some players will develop better away from Barcelona, with first-team minutes more beneficial than minutes for the subsidiaries.

When a young player moves away from FC Barcelona, the team usually inserts two clauses into the contract.

The first is a re-purchase option. If the player develops to a certain standard, Barcelona wants to be able to bring the player back to Catalonia to compete for a first-team place. The second is a sell-on fee. If the player does well and is sold on for a higher fee, they want to be able to recoup revenue, call it a reward for starting the player on his development path.

Estanis Pedrola starring for Sampdoria on loan from FC Barcelona

One player who left this summer was forward Estanis Pedrola who did impress last season with Marquez’s Barca Atletic side.

There was some talk that he may make the jump to the first-team, but it was quickly revealed that Pedrola was not in the first-team plans of Xavi.

Barcelona loaned Pedrola to Sampdoria who are managed by legendary midfielder Andrea Pirlo. The deal included an obligation for the Italian side to buy Pedrola next summer for €3 million. But it did include future protections for Barcelona.

Barca have the right to re-purchase Pedrola for just €7 million, and that clause runs until 2025. If they don’t re-purchase him, then Barca will receive 50% of any future sale. It’s a win-win situation for the La Liga champions.

So far, Pedrola has been a starring figure for Sampdoria, scoring 3 times in 6 Serie B games. More than his goals, he’s been one of the better performers on the pitch, and although Sampdoria has started slowly, Pedrola has been a shining light.

It’ll be interesting to see how he does the rest of the season.