The 8 players Barcelona let go in the summer – & how they’re faring elsewhere

When you get to play for a club like Barcelona, you probably don’t want to leave, but a few players had to this summer.

Barcelona have reclaimed their crown as La Liga’s best team over the past couple of years with Hansi Flick in charge. They boast one of the most talented squads in world football, but some members of that squad said goodbye in the summer.

Here are the first-team players who left Barcelona in the summer and how their next steps are going.

We did wonder if Barcelona might miss Lewandowski after letting his contract expire. The outstanding form of Raphinha has meant they’ve been just fine.

As for Lewandowski, who joined MLS side Chicago Fire as a free agent, a return of 10 goals from 23 games for his new club so far has been decent – if a little underwhelming compared to his usual standards.

He had an eight-game MLS goal drought across September and October, which is unthinkable for someone like him. Maybe Barcelona got out at the right time?

He is 38 now, to be fair. In Lewandowski’s defence, he has three goals from two games to his name in November ahead of the playoffs. It’d be silly to write him off.

It was a big summer for Torres, scoring the winner in the World Cup final and then joining the reigning Champions League holders PSG.

The 26-year-old scored a brace on his Ligue 1 debut and a hat-trick on his first Champions League appearance for his new club, before further league goals against Brest and Marseille.

But he went the entire run of eight games between the last international break and this one without scoring, so is stuck on seven goals from 14 games.

He’ll be happy with that as an overall ratio, but will be wanting to make his mark in more matches.

Remember when he was the next big thing?

Those memories have become distant for Barcelona and they agreed last summer to send him on loan to Monaco with an option to buy.

After he scored 12 goals to make it his best goalscoring season yet, Monaco took up that option for €11m.

The winger’s start to this season has been disrupted by injuries though. He’s scored in both of his Conference League outings, but has only played three times in Ligue 1 since his permanent transfer.

It’s estimated he’ll be out for another month. What could he have been without the injuries?

Fort spent last season on loan away from Barcelona at Elche. Rather than getting a chance to come back and add to his 30 appearances, he was sold for a new challenge this summer.

Europa League participants Real Sociedad were the buyers. They’ve been patient with Fort so far; his first start against Bournemouth lasted just 45 minutes and he had to wait until after the first international break of the season for his first La Liga starts for his new club.

Still only 20, the Barcelona-born right-back is one for the future. What’s promising is that he made an assist within three minutes of his first league start for La Real against Malaga.

But he’s been an unused sub in three Europa League games since the Bournemouth loss.

Like Fort, Pena finished last season on loan with Elche. He headed further afield for his permanent move away, though, joining Greek giants Panathinaikos.

At the age of 27, it was probably about time for the goalkeeper to find a club to settle at. Panathinaikos looks to have been a good choice; he’s started 10 games in the Greek Super League so far and kept clean sheets in half of them.

Panathinaikos went into the international break sitting pretty at the top of the table.

Pena is yet to keep a clean sheet in their Conference League games, but he’s playing regularly in that competition too. An undisputed starter, which is pretty much what he’d have been hoping for.

After playing four times for Barcelona last season, young left-back Torrents made way for Ajax.

He’s only played once in the Eredivisie so far as a substitute before sitting on the bench for their next nine league games.

Still only 19, he’s had one start and one sub appearance in the Conference League.

Marques only played twice for Barcelona last season but he still went for €11m – the same price as Fati – when Braga bought him in the summer.

There’ll be high hopes for the 20-year-old midfielder in Portugal, but only one of his six games for Braga so far has been as a starter and even then he got taken off at half time.

Braga are in the Conference League this season, but Marques has been an unused sub in their games in it so far.

Cortes made his one and only Barcelona appearance against Alaves at the tail end of last season, lasting the full 90 minutes.

The left-footed centre-back was already 21 at the time and could probably tell he wasn’t part of the long-term plans, though.

He was sold to Royal Antwerp in the Belgian top flight and has settled in instantly, starting all eight of their games since his arrival.