Cury stated, “There was a real opportunity to sign Ousmane Dembélé for only 5 million euros, but the intervention of agents and their demand for commissions exceeding 10 million euros led to the deal faltering at the outset.”
He added, “During that period, the club made expensive deals with players like Arda Turan and others, which harmed the development of academy players who were unable to participate with the first team.”
He continued, “When Barcelona had financial resources, they signed players they didn’t need, like Antoine Griezmann. With Messi, Suárez, and Neymar in the attack, there was no opportunity for any other player to get real playing minutes. Those who join the team often find themselves on the bench.”
He emphasized, “Deals like Dembélé, Coutinho, and Griezmann cost the club over 450 million euros, while the club sold Neymar for only 222 million, at a time when they could have retained Neymar by improving his contract and making him the highest-paid player in the world.”
He noted, “At Real Madrid, the situation is different, as Florentino Pérez does not resort to borrowing for deals. When Cristiano Ronaldo demanded a salary similar to Messi’s, he was allowed to leave for Juventus.”
He continued, “Barcelona has not succeeded in marketing its players or generating returns from their sales, and often, player contracts are extended and their salaries increased, which was the problem; no player wanted to leave Barcelona.”
He concluded, “When Suárez left for Atlético Madrid, the club had to bear part of his salary; players wanted to stay at the club forever.”
