Barcelona are one of the biggest clubs in world football and, as a result, they have spent massive sums of money on transfer fees over the years. The very best players in world football grew up dreaming of one day pulling on the famous red and blue stripes. However, this doesn't mean every big-money signing has been successful at Camp Nou.

On the contrary, the majority of players to move to the Spanish club for huge fees have been known to crumble under the pressure and expectations that follow them through the door. This has led to a long line of talented footballers who failed to live up to the hype at one of the biggest clubs on the planet after securing blockbuster moves.

We've taken a look at the 10 most expensive signings in the club's history and where they are in 2024. Some have seen their careers take a downward trajectory while others have enjoyed stellar careers.

10 Ferran Torres

£46.9 million

Ferran Torres was a good player for Manchester City during his short spell in England, but no one felt he was worth the £46.5 million Barcelona paid for him in 2022. However, the Spaniard had previously impressed as a youngster at Valencia in La Liga, making the deal make more sense.

He has hit form in patches throughout his first two years at Camp Nou, being used as a rotation option more than anything. The emergence of hot prospect Lamine Yamal has done the forward no favours, along with another signing from the Premier League - who we will get on to shortly - but the 24-year-old has still managed 25 goals for the club at the time of writing.

9 Raphinha

£49.5 million

The 27-year-old Brazil international is now in the peak years of his career, and he is an important part of the setup at the club. Xavi has shown plenty of faith in the winger, who was signed from Leeds United after he saved the English club from relegation to the Championship.

He's gone up another level since departing English football, winning a league title in his first campaign at his new club. He has 41 goal contributions in 82 appearances at the time of writing, including two goals in the 2023-24 Champions League quarter-finals, although it wasn't enough to guide his side through to the next round.

8 Miralem Pjanic

£51.2 million

This is one of the most bizarre transfers in recent memory. Miralem Pjanic was a fine central midfielder with a keen eye for a pass, but the Bosnian had just turned 30 years old months before Barca shelled out over £50 million for him.

Players in their 30s are usually seen to be coming towards the end of their peak, and that wasn't even the strangest dealing between the club and Juventus that summer. Arthur Melo moved in the opposite direction for an even bigger transfer fee, raising many eyebrows across Europe. Ultimately, Pjanic was a serviceable but unremarkable player during his time in Spain, and he now plays for Sharjah in the UAE Pro League.

7 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

£59.3 million

In 2009, anything north of £50 million was an eye-watering sum of money to pay for any player. Never mind the fact Samuel Eto'o was also used as a makeweight in the deal that saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic move from Inter Milan to Barcelona. The Swede was one of the most impressive strikers in world football at the time and was supposed to be the final piece of the puzzle for Pep Guardiola.

However, the relationship between player and manager would quickly go downhill. Reports suggested the pair were barely on speaking terms and a confrontation even took place after Eto'o's Inter knocked Barca out of the Champions League in the semi-final. After just one season at the club, Ibrahimovic left and would go on to play for the likes of AC Milan, PSG, Man United, and LA Galaxy before hanging up his boots in 2023.

6 Frenkie de Jong

£64 million

Another man who still plays for the club, Frenkie de Jong, is one of the most important players for the Spanish team. The Dutch midfielder joined after an incredible spell at Ajax, which saw the Eredivisie outfit reach the 2019 Champions League semi-finals.

There was speculation he could be moved on to ease the financial struggles at the club, but the midfielder was determined to stay and fight for his place. The decision not to cash-in on the intelligent holding midfielder was genius as Barca became La Liga champions in the 2022-23 season with his presence in the middle of the park playing a huge part in that triumph.

5 Luis Suarez

£70 million

Following one of the best individual seasons in Premier League history, Luis Suarez swapped Liverpool for Barcelona in 2014 for £70 million. In the modern game, this looks like a minimal fee for one of the greatest players of the past two decades. The Uruguayan forward took his new surroundings by storm, scoring 195 times in 283 appearances.

While he may be a divisive figure, Suarez was always technically gifted and was more than capable of holding his own in a team full of superstars. His time at Camp Nou ended on a sore note sadly, as Ronald Koeman notified the striker that his services were no longer required via a 40-second phone call. Since then, the ex-Ajax ace has played for Atletico Madrid, Nacional and Gremio. At 37 years old, he now plays alongside Messi once again at Inter Miami.

4 Neymar

£75 million

Neymar is one of the greatest Barcelona players of all time, with the Brazilian being one of the rare big-money signings that was actually worth the expense to the Catalan club. He formed part of the most fearful attacking trio in world football alongside Suarez and Lionel Messi. He scored over 100 goals in four years, lifting two La Liga titles and a Champions League trophy.

In search of a new challenge and aiming to be the main superstar of a team, the mesmerising winger would join Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, but things didn't quite go to plan in France. Despite all the domestic success he enjoyed in his six years at Parc des Princes, Neymar would fail to win Europe's biggest club competition for a second time. In 2023, he signed a lucrative deal with Al-Hilal. Unfortunately, the majority of his debut campaign has been spent on the sidelines.

3 Antoine Griezmann

£102.4 million

When Barcelona made the move to sign Antoine Griezmann from La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid in 2019, it looked like a brilliant - albeit expensive - piece of business. However, the forward found the net just nine times in 35 league appearances during his debut season at his new club, significantly under-performing. His second campaign wasn't much better as he only scored 13 goals in the league.

Griezmann would return to the Metropolitano Stadium on loan in 2021 before securing a permanent move back to his old club. The 33-year-old has re-discovered his best form in familiar surroundings as he is currently among the best strikers in world football.

2 Ousmane Dembele

£123.7 million

Ousmane Dembele wasn't shy about showing his joy at scoring upon his return to Camp Nou in the quarter-finals of the 2023-24 Champions League as a Paris Saint-Germain player. The Frenchman netted in both legs of the tie as he was booed by his former supporters.

The winger departed Catalonia in 2023 to return to his homeland after he had failed to live up to the hype that followed him through the door following his blockbuster move from Borussia Dortmund in 2017. He was meant to be the replacement for Neymar, but instead, he only scored 40 goals in 185 appearances in an injury-riddled spell in Spain.

1 Philippe Coutinho

£136.5 million

The most expensive signing in Barcelona's history is also one of their most shambolic. Philippe Coutinho had been lighting the Premier League up for Liverpool in the years preceding his £136.5 million move to Camp Nou, but things didn't go to plan for the Brazilian after his record-breaking move.

He joined in January 2018 and would play over 100 games for the Spanish giants, although his most memorable moment was probably when he scored twice against Barca during a loan spell at Bayern Munich. Coutinho is now on loan at Al-Duhail in Qatar from Aston Villa, whom he joined from Barcelona permanently in 2022.