Joan Laporta continues to demonstrate his ability to manage Barça's transfer market, adapting to the complex financial situation it is facing. Last summer, Laporta was forced to stop the deal for Nico Williams due to the delicate financial situation, while also giving up on his big dream: Rafael Leao.
Faced with this scenario, Joan Laporta has made a strategic shift in FC Barcelona's transfer policy. He's now betting on bringing in young talents who can be trained and developed at La Masia. It's true that Barça has always taken care of its youth squad, but now it's cast its nets on less-known markets that can yield great returns.
A perfect example of this new approach is Senegalese center-back Mikayil Faye, who joined Barça in 2023 for just €1.5M. Just a year later, Joan Laporta transferred Faye to Rennes for €10m, generating a significant profit for the club. This operation is a model that Laporta wants to repeat, taking advantage of La Masia's power and its potential for revaluation.
Joan Laporta Got Him: Signed for Less than 2 million and Ready to Debut in January
In this sense, Joan Laporta has closed a new transfer that follows the same strategy. The president has made official the incorporation of Ibrahim Diarra, a young winger from Mali who standed out last U-17 World Cup. Diarra was one of the stars of the tournament, becoming the MVP after scoring 5 goals and providing 4 assists.
Thanks to the publication of FC Barcelona's financial report, it's been confirmed that Joan Laporta has managed to sign Ibrahim Diarra for 1.7 million euros. Diarra, who will arrive in January, will join the ranks of La Masia, where he will continue his training and adaptation to European soccer.
17 year old Ibrahim Diarra ● Barcelona Transfer Target - Amazing Skills, Goals & Assists 🇲🇱
Ibrahim Diarra, talent and overflow for La Masia by order of Joan Laporta
The transfer of Ibrahim Diarra represents Joan Laporta's new approach to the market. The strategy consists in signing a young talent with potential at a cost that the club can afford. The aim is for the young Malian winger to develop in the youth ranks of Barça and, eventually, make the jump into Camp Nou. However, if this is not achieved, Laporta will try to repeat the operation of Mika Faye, who arrived for one million and left without making his senior debut while leaving 10 times as much in profits.
With this move, Joan Laporta once again demonstrates his ability to manage the future of Barça. He's ensuring that the Catalonian club will remains competitive in the long term through strategic transfers that align with La Masia's training and development philosophy.