Are Felix and Cancelo among the best Barcelona loan players in the 21st century? Discover the best players that have played on loan for Barcelona.
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Top Scorers
Apart from Joao Felix, Luuk de Jong, and Gaizka Mendieta, there aren’t many Barcelona loan players who have been productive in front of the net.
Joao Felix and Luuk de Jong currently hold the record for the most goals scored while on loan at Barcelona.
Luuk de Jong
The Dutch striker joined Barcelona from Sevilla upon the club’s worst season in recent history. He received harsh criticism right immediately for his ineptitude on the field. However, the arrival of Xavi marked a significant shift in his performances. He scored seven goals and one assist in 29 appearances for the club.
His contributions to securing Barcelona’s Champions League spot were tremendous. He quietly silenced his critics, ultimately earning the nickname Super Sub.
He is the joint-top scorer among Barcelona loan players.
However, Barcelona did not activate the option to buy, and he is now playing for PSV, where he has 26 goals and 10 assists in 32 appearances in the ongoing season.
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Gaizka Mendieta
Mendieta was a Spanish wide midfielder who was loaned from Lazio to Barcelona for €9 million in the 2002/03 season. He made 49 appearances for the club, scoring 6 goals and 6 assists, making him the joint Barcelona loan player with the most goal contributions. He also holds the record for most appearances while on loan at Barcelona.
Gaizka then spent six seasons with Middlesbrough, retiring in 2008/09. He represented the Barcelona Legends squad on multiple occasions, scoring a last-minute equalizer against Manchester United Legends in 2017. Mendieta is now an investor in the renowned Spanish restaurant chain Iberica.
The two Joaos
The addition of the Portuguese duo has enhanced our squad’s quality. However, injuries and suspensions have hampered our progress.
Joao Felix arrived from Atletico Madrid following a stint with Chelsea last season. The left winger has now scored seven goals and assisted five times, making him the joint-best scorer and goal contributor among Barcelona loan players. He is very likely to grant both records under his name before the end of the season.
Joao Cancelo has been a boost to our right-back position. He came from Manchester City after a spell at Bayern Munich. He has now scored three goals and three assists, which are impressive stats for the role that he is playing. His passion for the club was evident throughout the season, and he is a pure joy to watch.
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Loans that went Permanent
In the twenty-first century, Barcelona has had 15 loan arrivals. However, just two of these turned out to be permanent agreements.
Jose Manuel Pinto
Pinto joined Barcelona in the winter of the 2007/08 season from Celta Vigo. During his loan, the Spanish goalkeeper played only three games. However, the following summer, Barcelona signed him as a free agent.
Pinto went on to represent Barcelona in 89 games, recording 37 clean sheets. He spent seven seasons at Barcelona before retiring at the end of the 2013/14 season. He won 16 trophies with Barcelona, including one UCL and four La Liga titles.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
The Dutch left-back joined Barcelona on loan from Arsenal in the summer of 2003/04. He quickly established himself as a key player in the Barcelona squad, appearing in 44 games while on loan. As a result, Barcelona signed him as a free agent in the 2004/05 summer transfer window.
Giovanni appeared in 154 games throughout four seasons with the club. During that span, he scored seven goals and assisted 18 times. He won five trophies with Barcelona, including one UCL and two La Liga titles.
Our Thoughts
From what we’ve seen this season from Felix and Cancelo, it’s obvious that they’re among the Best Barcelona Loan Players of the 21st Century. However, considering our financial situation, it seems doubtful that we will be able to buy them next summer.
Do you think Felix and Cancelo will mark an era at Barcelona?
