One of the greatest, and wealthiest, clubs in the world, Barcelona have untold riches both on and off the pitch.
Hosting some of the best players in Europe, the La Liga giants have to keep the vultures from circling their players as they try to build another dynasty – especially considering Spanish clubs are obliged to include release clauses in all player contracts.
The first step to keeping your players – one that had looked all but unassailable before Paris Saint-Germain bought Neymar – is to set their release clause at a prohibitively high amount.
So who would cost rival teams the most to entice away from Barcelona? Find out below, where we’ve ranked every Barcelona player ranked by their release clause, from lowest to highest.
22. Carles Alena
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 06/09/2017
Contract until: 30/06/2022
Release clause: €75m
Another La Masia graduate, the sky’s the limit for Carles Alena, who made 35 appearances for the Barcelona first team in the 2018/19 season. The 21-year-old’s release clause won’t be as low as €75m for much longer.
21. Moussa Wague
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 05/08/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €100m
Moussa Wague initially joined Barcelona’s B team in 2018 but was moved up to the senior squad ahead of the current season.
20. Nelson Semedo
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 14/07/2017
Contract until: 30/06/2022
Release clause: €100m
A regular at right-back, Semedo has played 98 games across all competitions, including 76 starts.
19. Ivan Rakitic
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 09/03/2017
Contract until: 30/06/2021
Release clause: €125m
Originally signing in 2014 from Sevilla, Rakitic’s performances with Barcelona earned him a new contract in March 2017 with a big €125m release clause.
The midfielder has won four La Ligas, four Copa del Reys and one Champions League in his five years at the club so far, though his future is currently in doubt.
18. Jean-Clair Todibo
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 31/01/2019
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €150m
One for the future, the 19-year-old centre-back has made four Barcelona appearances since joining from Toulouse.
17. Ansu Fati
Position: Winger
Contract signed: 04/12/2019
Contract until: 30/06/2022
Release clause: €170m
Ansu Fati has enjoyed a breakthrough season with Barcelona having been promoted from the famed La Masia academy in the summer.
He has been rewarded for his performances so far with a new contract until 2022, with the option to extend it for a further two years and a release clause rise from €100m to €170m. But that will once again rise to €400m when he signs a professional contract as a full-time member of the first-team.
16. Marc-Andre ter Stegen
Position: Goalkeeper
Contract signed: 29/05/2017
Contract until: 30/06/2022
Release clause: €180m
Originally a back-up for Claudio Bravo, Marc-Andre ter Stegen became Barcelona’s number one goalkeeper when the Chilean signed for Manchester City in 2016.
Ter Stegen was then offered a new contract by Barcelona in 2017, with a €180m release clause, and has turned into one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
15. Junior Firpo
Position: Left-back
Contract signed: 04/08/2019
Contract until: 30/06/2024
Release clause: €200m
Junior Firpo’s stock has risen greatly over the past two years, especially since helping Spain win this summer’s Uefa U-21 European Championships. After arriving from Real Betis, he has initially deputized for Jordi Alba before, hopefully, taking his place.
Just like many of his new teammates, Firpo has a massive €200m release clause and is clearly well thought of in the Catalan region.
14. Neto
Position: Goalkeeper
Contract signed: 27/06/2019
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €200m
Despite being signed to play back up to Ter Stegen, 2019 arrival Neto actually has a higher release clause than the German.
13. Luis Suarez
Position: Forward
Contract signed: 16/12/2016
Contract until: 30/06/2021
Release clause: €200m
Signing from Liverpool amid controversy in 2014, Luis Suarez has continued to grow as one of the best centre-forwards in the world.
His partnership and understanding with Lionel Messi earned him a new contract in 2016 with a release clause of €200m – which he has repaid by scoring 187 goals in 263 games.
12. Arturo Vidal
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 06/08/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2021
Release clause: €300m
Looking to fill gaps in the midfield, Barcelona signed Arturo Vidal from German champions Bayern Munich in 2018. Giving the Chilean a three-year deal, Barcelona also slapped a €300m release clause onto the ageing star.
11. Clement Lenglet
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 12/07/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €300m
Lenglet has made 61 appearances across all competitions for Barcelona since joining in 2018 and will be looking to improve on his partnership alongside Gerard Pique with a €300m release clause.
10. Frenkie de Jong
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 01/07/2019
Contract until: 30/06/2024
Release clause: €400m
One of the best young midfielders in the world, Barcelona, has made sure they will not lose Frenkie de Jong easily, with a €400m release clause.
9. Arthur
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 09/07/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2024
Release clause: €400m
Another impressive young midfielder with a €400m release clause, Arthur is expected to be the future of Barcelona after an impressive breakthrough campaign.
8. Ousmane Dembele
Position: Forward
Contract signed: 28/08/2017
Contract until: 30/06/2022
Release clause: €400m
The former Borussia Dortmund man is another expected to be in Barcelona for years, signing a five-year deal in 2017 with a €400m release clause.
While injuries and misuse have hampered his development so far at the Nou Camp, there are still high expectations for the young Frenchman.
7. Jordi Alba
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 28/02/2019
Contract until: 30/06/2024
Release clause: €500m
Barcelona’s number one left-back since signing from Valencia in 2012, Alba’s importance to the club was stressed when he was offered a new five-year deal in February 2019 – less than a month before his 30th birthday.
With a ridiculous release clause of €500m, Alba has played 309 times for Barcelona so far, scoring 16 goals.
6. Sergio Busquets
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 27/09/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €500m
Arguably the best central midfielder in world football, Sergio Busquets came from Barcelona’s academy to become an integral part of the club.
Such is the Spaniard’s importance that he was given a new five-year contract in 2018 with a release clause of €500m – a big hands-off warning from Barcelona.
5. Samuel Umtiti
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 04/06/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2023
Release clause: €500m
Signed from Lyon in 2016, the French centre-back has established himself as a first-choice defender for Barcelona in his three years at the club. Umtiti signed a new contract in 2018 taking his release clause up to a massive €500 million, surely pricing out any moves abroad for the time being.
4. Sergi Roberto
Position: Midfielder
Contract signed: 19/01/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2022
Release clause: €500m
The scorer of a historic goal in 2017 when Barcelona came back from 4-0 down on aggregate to beat PSG 6-5 in the Champions League, Sergi Roberto has found himself to be a big part of the club.
His importance was highlighted in January 2018 when his new contract saw a massive €500m release clause put in for the La Masia graduate.
3. Gerard Pique
Position: Defender
Contract signed: 30/01/2018
Contract until: 30/06/2022
Release clause: €500m
Barcelona’s best central defender and a key part of the club’s identity, Gerard Pique was rewarded for his service to the club with a new four-year deal in 2018 almost ensuring he would end his career in Spain.
2. Lionel Messi
Position: Forward
Contract signed: 25/11/2017
Contract until: 30/06/2021
Release clause: €700m
Arguably the greatest player to have ever played football, recently adding a sixth Ballon d’Or, many teams have tried to entice Lionel Messi away from Barcelona.
But each time they are swatted away by both club and player, with the Argentine committing another four years to Barcelona in November 2017 – accompanied by a release clause of €700m.
1. Antoine Griezmann
Position: Forward
Contract signed: 12/07/2019
Contract until: 30/06/2024
Release clause: €800m
Despite Messi’s stature in Barcelona, one man has a higher release clause. Antoine Griezmann finally made the move to the Nou Camp in July 2019 and his five-year deal was accompanied by a staggering €800m release clause.
