Source:REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
[Saba Sports News] According to Spanish media reports, after Pedro Fernández Sarmiento was signed away by Paris Saint-Germain at a low price, Barcelona has decided to completely reform its renewal policy for La Masia players to prevent similar talent losses in the future. This strategic adjustment, named “Operation Armor,” aims to respond to the fierce competition in the current transfer market and address the loopholes in the existing contract system.
These loopholes previously led to the departures of players like Sarmiento and Marc Guiu to Chelsea in the summer of 2024. Under the club’s new policy, the release clauses for youth players will no longer use fixed low amounts but will instead introduce a variable incremental mechanism.
In the old system, players signing a three-year youth contract typically had a set release clause of €6 million. Sarmiento was renewed under this old system, allowing PSG to acquire him for just slightly above that clause at €8.2 million. Under the new system, the release clause amount will automatically increase as players achieve specific competitive goals, such as making their debuts for Barcelona’s youth team or first team. Had Sarmiento’s contract included these new clauses, his departure cost would have been between €20 million and €25 million, thus effectively protecting the club’s asset value.