Barcelona have confirmed that 19-year-old midfielder Tommy Marques will continue his career with Portuguese club Braga in a permanent transfer.
The move is not a loan. Barcelona have agreed to sell Marques outright, while retaining the right to buy the player back in the future. The Catalan club will also keep a percentage of any subsequent transfer involving the midfielder.
Barcelona wished Marques every success as he begins the next chapter of his career in Portugal. The club did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement in its announcement, but press reports put the value of the transfer at €11m.
Marques made only two appearances for Barcelona’s first team before leaving the club. His departure brings an end to his involvement with the senior side, with Braga now set to become the next destination in his development.
The structure of the agreement means Barcelona have not completely removed themselves from Marques’ future. The buy-back provision gives them the option of re-signing him, while the retained percentage would allow the club to benefit if Braga later completes another transfer involving the player.
However, for now, the transfer represents a permanent change of club rather than a temporary arrangement. Marques will continue his career in Portugal after making limited first-team appearances for Barcelona.
The reported €11m fee makes the deal the key financial detail surrounding the move, although the precise conditions of the buy-back clause and Barcelona’s percentage of a future sale were not specified in the announcement.
Barcelona’s message to Marques focused on his departure and best wishes for the next stage of his career. The midfielder’s two senior appearances for the club were his only outings for the first team before the agreement with Braga was completed.