FC Barcelona supporters have certainly forgotten Francisco Trincão’s visit to Catalonia. And the youngest may even discover it. However, the Portuguese did indeed evolve with the Culés during the post-covid 2020/2021 season. He had just been bought for €30 million in Braga and arrived with the label of great hope. Unfortunately for him, arriving in a context that was not favorable to him, he left a year later after playing 43 matches (3 goals, 2 assists).
The Barça environment, the conflict between Koeman and the management, the competition, the digestion of a first big transfer, his youth (he was 20 at the time) got the better of him. First loaned to Wolverhampton, the winger ended up bouncing back during a second loan to Sporting CP. The Lisbon club even ended up exercising the €7 million purchase option in the summer of 2023, but for only 50% of the player’s rights, with Barça keeping the other half until last summer, when the Leões decided to buy back the remaining 50%.
Sporting bought Barça’s 50% stake in Trincão last summer
The deal was concluded for €11 million, as revealed in the Sporting CP press release. The latter took advantage of Barça’s complicated economic situation to renegotiate the terms of the transfer negotiated two years earlier to his advantage. In return, the Blaugranas immediately received a check which allowed them to register their players in the championship. In the short term, this new money was necessary for the club’s finances, but in the long term, the shortfall is major according to Sport.
Building on his performances, Francisco Trincão (26 years old) is preparing to extend his contract (it currently runs until 2027) with the idea of leaving next summer and benefiting from good odds on the transfer market (32 matches played this season for 10 goals and 12 assists). His departure clause will be maintained at €60 million to attract interested teams (Manchester City, Bayern Munich and AC Milan have inquired in recent months) and hope to achieve a big added value that only Sporting will be able to touch, instead of paying half to Barça.
