Barcelona has a reputation for helping young players develop, but not all of them are successful in making it to the main team.
For every Lamine Yamal or Gavi, there are countless other examples of young Barcelona talents who narrowly escape the team and go on to build successful careers elsewhere.
We've examined seven young players Barcelona has sold recently, who currently have active buy-back options in their contracts.
Nico Gonzalez
The highly-rated player was released by Barcelona in 2023, as Porto made a successful bid to sign him.
The Spanish team was paid about £7 million for the midfielder, but they did include a £25 million buy-back option in his contract.
Since relocating to Portugal, Gonzalez has evolved into a vital component for Porto, having started in 17 out of their 19 league matches thus far this season.
Together with accomplishing an average of two tackles per game, the 23-year-old also possesses the ability to contribute to goals and is currently averaging a goal contribution every 180 minutes.
If Barcelona wish to re-sign him at Camp Nou, they will have to act promptly, as their right to repurchase him will expire at some point this year.
Francisco Trincao
The Portuguese winger accumulated 42 appearances for Barcelona, with the majority of those encounters taking place as a reserve part of the team.
Then after spending a few years out on loan, he joined Sporting on a permanent basis in 2023 for a transfer fee of approximately eight million pounds.
Barcelona made provisions to safeguard their position by including a £20 million buy-back option and a 50% sell-on clause in the agreement.
Since leaving Spain, the 25-year-old has achieved notable success, having made 39 goal contributions over the past one and a half seasons.
Barcelona's buyback option will remain active until 2026, even though the club seems unlikely to invoke it.
Estanis Pedrola
He made a loan move to Sampdoria in 2023-24, and the move was made permanent last summer for £2.5 million.
The 21-year-old winger has not seen much playing time this season due to an injury, yet remains a highly-touted young talent for the long-term.
Barcelona also negotiated a 50% sell-on clause and the option to buy back into his deal with Sampdoria.
Abde Ezzazouli
The 14-year senior veteran subsequently transferred to Real Betis in 2023, with the fee falling in the vicinity of six million pounds.
The Moroccan winger has secured a consistent starting position under Manuel Pellegrini lately and is beginning to demonstrate his value at the Benito Villamarin Stadium.
In the 2024-25 season, no more than five players in La Liga have been able to successfully complete as many dribbles as Ezzazouli, with a total of 40 successful dribbles.
Barcelona technically have a option to purchase him back for about seventeen million pounds, but he appears to be happy at Betis for the time being.
Mikayil Faye
Although Faye did not play a single game for the first team, Barcelona still insisted on having a buy-back clause in place when selling her to Stade Rennais.
The 20-year-old centre-half has featured in ten games with the France squad since the summer transfer, beginning as a starter in seven of the matchups.
Barcelona have the option to re-sign him for approximately 21 million UK pounds.
Riqui Puig
Once predicted as the future replacement for Andres Iniesta, Puig was highly regarded during his initial years at Barcelona.
The dynamic Spanish midfielder made 60 senior appearances for the club before joining LA Galaxy in the summer of 2022.
Barcelona did not receive a transfer fee for Puig, but they did insert an £8-million buy-back clause in his agreement with the MLS side.
Since relocating to the United States, the 25-year-old has stood out from the competition.
He successfully guided his team to a win in the MLS Cup Playoffs last season, and had a productive season overall, contributing 17 goals and 13 assists from a midfield position throughout the campaign.
There's no question Puig has the capability to succeed in one of Europe's top five leagues, but it appears he has committed to LA Galaxy for the present time.
Carles Alena
After making 44 appearances, Barcelona allowed Alena to depart in January 2021 as Getafe made their offer.
Since making the switch, the 27-year-old has evolved into a solid player in La Liga, although it does not seem that Barcelona will use their purchase option.