Playing for Barcelona is seen as the pinnacle for many players and you’d be surprised by how many of their former stars are currently without a club.
A player can end up on the free agents pile for a number of reasons, whether it’s down to injuries, personal circumstance or just waiting for the right opportunity to come along.
We’ve taken a closer look at the free agents list and have found five former Barca players who currently find themselves without a club.
Rafinha
Not to be confused with their current Brazilian star, or the ex-Bayern full-back, this Rafinha is the younger brother of Thiago.
The midfielder spent nine years on Barca’s books, but only ever intermittently enjoyed a regular run of starts amid regular loans away.
He eventually left for good in October 2020, signing a three-year deal with PSG, but he also found gametime difficult to come by in the French capital.
Rafinha is currently without a club after leaving Qatari outfit Al-Arabi over the summer.
Douglas
During his five-year stay at Barcelona, Douglas only managed eight appearances and he often found himself behind a fellow Brazilian right-back in the pecking order.
The 34-year-old most recently played for Besiktas, but has been without a club since being let go in 2022. It remains to be seen if he will get back in the game or if he decides to quit his footballing career altogether.
Jordi Gomez
Remembered for his spells with Wigan Athletic and Sunderland, Gomez started his career at Barcelona. Although the Premier League cult hero only made one appearance for the Spanish club before forging a career for himself elsewhere.
Now 39 years old, Gomez still has some magic left in his boots although he is without a club as things stand. He most recently played for Omonia 29M in the Cypriot Second Division and currently seems to be weighing up his next options.
Aleix Vidal
Barcelona paid around £15million to bring Vidal to Camp Nou in 2015 and he often had to settle for a squad role during his time with the club. In total, the right-back made 51 appearances for the club and won six trophies.
Since leaving Barcelona, he has played much more football as he’s enjoyed stints with Sevilla, Alaves and most recently Espanyol. The 35-year-old has been without a club since being let go in the summer of 2023, but he’s seemingly in no rush to get back into the game.
Vidal has instead been focusing on his ventures off the pitch and he revealed on Instagram that his restaurant was recognised by the Michelin Guide for last year.
Jean Marie Dongou
The Cameroon forward played over 100 games for Barcelona B, but he only managed to make three appearances for the senior team. He managed to score on his debut too, although his career didn’t manage to take off after some early flashes of quality.
Dongou has spent the majority of his career in the Spanish lower league along with some short stints in Greece and Japan. Aged 29, he is currently on the lookout for his next club.
Xavi Torres
Like Dongou, Torres made plenty of appearances for the B team, but didn’t manage to make the step up. After being let go by Barcelona in 2009 he has bounced around several sides since.
In total, the Spanish midfielder has played for 12 clubs throughout his career which has taken him all over the globe from Kuwait to Australia. He most recently played for CD Lugo in the Spanish third tier and at 38 is now without a club.
