Over the past seven years, FC Barcelona has spent a staggering €743.5 million to bring in 25 new players. According to Crickex App reports, this aggressive transfer strategy began after the club’s historic treble, when they spent €52 million to sign Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal. During Luis Enrique’s final season as head coach, Barça added six more players—Paco Alcácer, André Gomes, Lucas Digne, Samuel Umtiti, Jasper Cillessen, and Denis Suárez—at a total cost of €122.75 million.

Last summer, following Neymar’s departure, Barcelona broke its own spending records, investing €187 million on players like Nélson Semedo, Gerard Deulofeu, Paulinho, and Ousmane Dembélé. During the winter window, they added Philippe Coutinho and Yerry Mina. It’s worth noting that the €743.5 million doesn’t even include Coutinho’s €160 million fee, as he was not yet eligible to play in the UEFA Champions League that season.

Back in the 2015–16 season, Barcelona was even under a FIFA-imposed transfer ban during the summer window. Still, their desire to bolster the squad remained strong. After their 2011 Champions League triumph at Wembley, Pep Guardiola’s Barça brought in Alexis Sánchez and Cesc Fàbregas for a combined €60 million. Under Tito Vilanova, the club spent just €33 million—its lowest in recent memory—on Jordi Alba and Alex Song.

In 2013, Barcelona landed Neymar in a deal that would eventually total €109 million. The following summer, anticipating another FIFA ban, the club made additional investments. Despite these massive expenditures, Spanish outlet Marca recently highlighted a painful truth: Barcelona has won only one Champions League title in the past seven years.

For a club that lifted the trophy twice between 2009 and 2011 and made six consecutive semifinal appearances, that’s a major drop-off. Domestically, Barcelona’s dominance in La Liga remains undisputed—they’re on track to secure another league title—but in Europe, their status has taken a hit. The team has fallen at the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League for three consecutive seasons.

To fix that, Barcelona is once again turning to the transfer market. Their goal is to build a squad around Lionel Messi, surrounding the Argentine star with top-tier talent capable of reclaiming European glory and boosting his Ballon d’Or prospects.

Despite pouring hundreds of millions into signings such as Marc-André ter Stegen, Claudio Bravo, Thomas Vermaelen, Jérémy Mathieu, Douglas, Ivan Rakitić, and Luis Suárez—a total of €167.5 million—the return has been modest at best. In a case of “more money, more problems,” Barcelona’s strategy has raised eyebrows as much as expectations. The question now is whether future spending will finally match the club’s ambitions.