Barcelona’s transfer policy gets even weirder with Kevin-Prince Boateng signing

Will he have the so-called “Barca DNA,” or will Kevin-Prince Boateng be another blemish on the Catalan giant’s transfer history?

Kevin-Prince Boateng has had a strange career. One moment he’s getting relegated from the Premier League, the next he’s propelling his nation to a World Cup quarterfinal.

His entire career is full of these ups and downs. The Ghanaian attacker is now set to represent his 10th club in 13 years in Barcelona.

After getting relegated with Portsmouth, Boateng reached what was perhaps the peak of his career: the 2010 World Cup run. Coincidentally it was ended by a rogue handball from current teammate Luis Suarez. That was followed by three strong seasons at AC Milan, one of which included winning a Scudetto —  the last time a team other than Juventus have won the title in eight years.

Barcelona fans will remember Boateng best for his goal against them at the San Siro in the Champion’s League round of 16.

The recent years of Boateng’s career were less glamorous, with quiet, but relatively successful years at Las Palmas and Sassuolo.

While the Boateng signing might cause a few to scratch their heads, the Barcelona front office had a role in mind for Boateng. Following the departure of Munir El-Haddadi, the Blaugrana were in need of a backup striker. Specifically, a cheap, proven player who could be comfortable playing behind Suarez. The 31-year-old attacker has a decent goalscoring record, as well as the immeasurable importance of Champions League experience.

Boateng signed a €1 million, 6-month loan with an option for a permanent deal.

This isn’t the first Barca transfer that looks out of the ordinary, however, as the most questionable of Barcelona’s recent transfers ended up being the most successful. Paulinho, the former Tottenham and Guanzhou Evergrande midfielder arrived with almost no expectation to succeed — despite a massive €40 million transfer fee — but left in the good graces of the Blaugrana faithful, with one terrific season (nine goals in 49 midfield appearances).

He was an odd pick looking back. Barcelona are known for their possession-based play, and Paulinho was a physical, box-to-box player who didn’t have the ability to succeed at Tottenham previously. In the end he fit a role Barcelona didn’t realize they needed, and ended up as a fantastic super sub.

Wages notwithstanding, Barcelona made €2 million by transferring Paulinho back to Guangzhou Evergrande for the 2018-19 season. A big win in the end for the Blaugrana, but not the first odd move.

To get a better understanding of Barcelona’s recent transfer policy, let’s look back over some of the more questionable ones from the past five years.

Alex Song: For six years, Song was the a key member of the Arsenal midfield. Sitting just in front of the defense, Song was well known for his tackling ability and long passing range. Unfortunately, those weren’t exactly the skills that fit the Barcelona system. Song was brought in for similar reasons as Boateng: as a backup player with experience at a high level who wouldn’t break the bank (€17 million fee). Song saw limited playing time and never played up to the level that was expected. After a disappointing loan spell back to the Premier League with West Ham, Song eventually had his contract terminated by Barcelona in 2016.

Unlike some other transfers on this list, Song’s move did at least happen at the highest point in his career, a moment when he was getting a lot of attention for his play. Despite that, a move to Barcelona didn’t make a lot of sense given the midfielder’s skill set. Signing a player known for tackling and long passing ability didn’t fit the clubs mission at the time, and in hindsight derailed a what was becoming an impressive career.

Thomas Vermaelen: Another former Arsenal player (Barcelona also poached Cesc Fabregas, Aleksander Hleb, and Thierry Henry), Vermaelen wasn’t on the top of his game before his transfer. He was announced as the Arsenal captain for the 2012-13 season, but after some poor performances was replaced by Per Mertesacker, who paired well with Laurent Koscielny for the remainder of the season at center-back. Vermaelen somehow earned a €17 million transfer fee after that season and joined Barcelona in a low point of his career. The Belgian defender is still on the books for the Spanish side, and has made 29 appearances in his four seasons at the club.

Like Boateng, Vermaelen didn’t join Barca while at his best. In fact, the Belgian joined at a point when he was playing the worst soccer of his career. It seems he at least understands his role, and is happy to help mentor younger defenders and fill in as necessary.

Arda Turan: Here’s another player whose skills just didn’t fit that of Barcelona. The wide midfielder marked his trade through a tireless work ethic and tough style of play. That style worked perfectly for his time at Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone. But at Barca, a place that values technical ability above all, Turan never quite fit. For €34 million, Turan was an expensive mistake that didn’t last long. After two seasons he was loaned out to Istanbul Basaksehir, where he currently plays.

Having made just 36 appearances, Turan played for about €1 million per appearance. On top of his poor on-field performances, Turan was overly active off the pitch. While at Barca, he had a few ugly incidents, including attacking a 70-year-old journalist. In Turkey he received a 16-game ban for assaulting a referee after a disagreement.

Arturo Vidal: Yes, the Chilean star had success at Bayern Munich before his arrival, but he was never set up to succeed barring some Paulinho-style, unexpected performances. Vidal ended up signing, ostensibly, as Paulinho’s replacement. Vidal, however, had a better history and was a more technical player. It still never seemed like a move that would work out. Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets had nailed down starting roles, while Phillippe Coutinho was brought to be the heir to Andres Iniesta. Vidal was always set to play a secondary role. Though he was only €19 million, Vidal has yet to really cement his role in the team.

At 31, the Vidal transfer seemed like a desperation move to replace Paulinho. There’s a chance it still works out, but Paulinho wasn’t exactly expected to succeed either, which doesn’t look good for Vidal. While Barcelona might be a tough place to turn down, Vidal was also courted by Inter Milan and Milan, where he likely would have been an instant starter.

Yerry Mina: This one just doesn’t make sense, but somehow worked out for Barcelona. Mina signed for around €15 million just a year ago from Palmeiras. Then, half a year later, Mina was moved to Everton for €30 million along with another Barcelona flop, Andre Gomes. Barca ended up doubling their money in this deal, so in the end it was a success. However, Mina probably wasn’t brought in to be Barcelona player, given his quick relocation. In terms of investments, it was a great one. In terms of player signings, it was odd.

Mina, is a statue-esque defender who is reliable with the ball at his feet and deadly in the air. He had the traits to fit Barcelona’s system, unlike many others on this list, but he was never really given a chance in Spain.

Malcom: Barcelona head coach Ernesto Valverde didn’t even want Malcom. The Bordeaux winger was set to join Roma when the Barça front office swooped in to complete the coup. Unfortunately for Malcom, Valverde seems unlikely to give the Brazilian a chance. The transfer ended up just being a chance for Barcelona to flex their muscles and perhaps let Roma know how they felt about the previous year’s Champions League tie.

While Boateng could easily fit this list, there’s also the chance he goes the other way, joining the likes of Paulinho, Samuel Umtiti, Rakitic and Jordi Alba as successful recent transfers.

It’s more likely Boateng just fits his initial role as a backup. Someone who’s there to give Suarez a break, and who will be replaced when the next transfer window arrives. Barcelona do have the option to purchase Boateng’s contract after the six months, meaning they can drop the veteran if he isn’t up to the task or keep him on board if it looks like he fits the system when the season ends.