Barcelona set for financial boost from Chelsea star’s transfer to Real Madrid | OneFootball

Earlier today, Real Madrid announced the signing of Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella on a six-year contract until 2032.

The 27-year-old Spaniard, a former La Masia graduate, was also linked with a return to FC Barcelona this summer, but ended up signing for their arch-rivals.

Financial boost for Cucurella

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Cucurella’s move from Chelsea to Real Madrid will provide an unexpected financial benefit for Barcelona.

The Spanish international completed a transfer worth around €55 million plus €5 million in performance-related add-ons.

Thanks to FIFA’s solidarity mechanism, Barcelona are entitled to a share of the fee due to the player’s development at La Masia.

Cucurella is now a Real Madrid player. (Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images)

Barcelona to receive training compensation

Cucurella spent six years in Barcelona’s youth system between the ages of 14 and 20, making the Catalan club one of the main beneficiaries of FIFA’s solidarity payments.

Under FIFA regulations, 5% of every international transfer fee is distributed among the clubs involved in a player’s development between the ages of 12 and 23. The percentage awarded depends on the years spent at each club during that period.

Based on the reported €55 million transfer fee, Barcelona are expected to receive approximately €1.35 million.

That figure represents around 2.5% of the overall transfer value and could increase slightly if any of the deal’s performance-related bonuses are triggered.

Barcelona are not the only club set to receive compensation from the transfer. Several of Cucurella’s former teams will also receive payments through the FIFA solidarity mechanism.

Cucurella is a La Masia product. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Espanyol will stand to earn approximately €275,000, while Getafe can pocket around €550,000. Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Albion can stand to take away approximately €275,000.

Long-term value of La Masia

While Cucurella’s move to Real Madrid may be difficult for some Barcelona supporters to accept from a sporting perspective, the transfer once again highlights the long-term financial value of the club’s academy system.

Even years after a player leaves the club, Barcelona can continue to benefit through mechanisms designed to reward youth development, adding another chapter to the successful business generated by one of La Masia’s former prospects.