This season Alexia Putellas and Mapi León are playing for the London City Lionesses. Ona Batlle is playing for Arsenal. Salma Paralluelo is with OL Lyonnes. That foursome left the Barça Femení over the summer when their contracts expired, bringing in nothing in return. Even promising Norwegian forward Martine Fenger departed to Hoffenheim for an undisclosed fee.
In response to those exits, the club managed to sign Kerolin from Manchester City for reported fee of somewhere between $1.45M and $1.9M, either way making her the most expensive signing in Barça Femení history. Despite some whispers of financial restraints, they also added defenders Martina Fernández from Everton and 19-year-old Renee van Asten from Ajax. American Tyler McCamey came on a free transfer, but she has so far been third on the depth chart behind Cata Coll and Gemma Font.
Barça Femení: “A gift”
Xavier Puig i Hernández, the FC Barcelona board member who oversees women’s football, showed great confidence throughout the summer and continued to espouse that La Masia is a gift for the women’s side as much as the men’s. The early returns for Pere Romeu suggest that not only would the Femení be using the academy, but the manager would be filling out the depth of the squad with even young players than the ones expected to take on a larger role.
The attacking formula so far this season has been pretty cut and dry. Overwhelm opponents with superior technical prowess and organized pressing, and take advantage of opponents mistakes. Cláudia Pina, now 25-years-old, has been waiting for the better part of a decade to be the everyday starter, and she’s rewarded the manager with a team-high 11 goals and four assists. Setting her up has been Caroline Graham Hansen and Ewa Pajor, who have nine assists each and 16 and 14 goal contributions respectively.
Young talent shines
While 20-year-old Vicky López, winner of the 2025 Kopa Trophy for the best U-21 player in football, was expected to be the new star in the midfielder, but has arguably been outshone this season by two teenagers regularly popping up in the center of the park. Clara Serrajordi began the season with a knock, but the steps that the 18-year-old has made over the last 14 months makes her potential feel limitless. Sydney Schertenleib, the 19-year-old Swiss dynamo, who can play as both an attacking full-back or in the middle, is a starter in pen so far this season under Romeu. They have flourished as Aitana Bonmatí has played just 71 total minutes in three appearances off the bench. Aïcha Cámara, the 19-year-old full-back, has only played two matches so far, but her sophomore season in the first team should be seen with optimism.
Portuguese international Kike Nazareth, who held the record as Barcelona’s most expensive transfer fee before Kerolin, also continues to work her way back from little knocks. Alongside all of those more exciting attacking names, Esmee Brugts, Irene Paredes, and Patri Guijarro continuing to be essential to Barcelona’s success. Due to not having as many attacking numbers, Patri may be on the outside looking in for the Ballon d’Or, but she should certainly be a reasonable candidate.
Different, but same results
Based on the results in some of the more high-profile matches of the season, 5-2 over Paris FC and 6-0 over Roma in their two Champions League league phase games, those not paying attention might have thought this was the same old Barça Femení. Add to that a 7-0 over the weekend against Real Madrid in which Pina scored her second hat-trick of the season, and this Femení side might feel as inevitable as previous years.
Yet, looking at the way that Romeu has utilized the academy, this younger version of the squad could still have growing pains ahead. Optimistically, building a lead in the league and securing earlier passage in the Champions League does allow for more minutes for all the B team players that have already seen some time. 15-year-old Mayssa Baha, 16-year-old Carolina Ferrera, 16-year-old Elena Vizuete, 17-year-old Laia Cabetas, 17-year-old Rosalía Domínguez, 18-year-old Lúa Arufe, and 18-year-old Martina González have all been called up to action and made their first team debuts. Baha, who scored against Logroño United in September, became the youngest ever goalscorer in Liga F history and the youngest goalscorer, male or female, in Barcelona history. Ferrera also has a goal this season and wasn’t too far off the record. This campaign might have pitfalls to come, but the future has never been brighter with the Femení.
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