FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta has been highly critical of a number of British Football Clubs, especially Chelsea and Arsenal over their transfer policy regarding talented young players.


Barca president Laporta additionally demanded that world football´s governing body, FIFA, should more strenuously regulate the issue of how young players are transferred.
Laporta believes that the British clubs do not match the exacting standards of Spanish and French youth set-ups in developing players and therefore have to "fish in foreign waters".


At a coaching congress in Yaiza, Lanzarote, Laporta stated:

"FC Barcelona is a club that has invested €7 mill. in our youth development programme this season and it's a major headache for us that English Clubs turn on our young players. They did it in the past with French clubs and now they are trying it with our youngsters.
British clubs offer astronomical amounts of money to youngsters of 14, 15 and 16 years of age, amounts that our ethics do not allow us to match. It happened before with Cesc Fàbregas and Gerard Pique and now it is happening again with Fran Mérida. The English Football Clubs do not adequately develop their own youth and therefore have to look to other set-ups".

In order to solve this problem in the future, Barca president Laporta demands that international football confederations, along with FIFA need to impose tighter regulations in this area.


Laporta is very proud of Barcelona's development policy and youth academy which, over the years has produced a tremendous number of talented young football players. Barca's president drew attention to the fact that the most successful team in Europe includes a substantial quota of players who have come through the ranks at the club and that 50% of the Barca squad have, to varying degrees, benefitted from time as a part of the FC Barcelona youth policy.


In recent times, Arsenal have signed Cesc Fabregas and Fran Merida (a signing that is currently being contested in court) and have again turned there attention towards the 'La Masia' youngsters. This time they are after Assulin Gai, a forward in Barca´s 'Cadete A' team.


Similarly, a few weeks ago, Chelsea signed the highly-prized Sergio Tejero, of Barca's city-rival RCD Espanyol.


Arsenal and Chelsea's technical staff appear to have an insatiable appetite for young players. Both London clubs continue their disgraceful policy of reinforcing their first teams by offering huge financial inducements to seduce these youngsters, invariably, it seems from the City of Barcelona.


This route, which was opened by Arsene Wenger's side has alerted Abramovich´s Chelsea to the rich pickings available to clubs with large cheque books and Mourinho knows only too well the quality of the Barca Academy having spent some time as an assistant at Barca.

The scouts of both teams are regular visitors at La Masia and the Mini-Estadi. In fact, only this week, it was Chelski's turn to send observers along to inspect/poach Barca youngsters. Of course he had one major name on his shopping list: Assulin Gai!


Rules and Regulations for transfers of minors without professional contracts have to change to protect the Clubs like FC Abrcelona who invest a lot of money into their youth academy (€ 7 Mill. this season). This is for the benefit of the youngsters and the world wide youth development. Otherwise the Mini-Estadi will soon be filled with international scouts of Europe´s top-clubs and the Gunners might get outflanked by their rich London rivals Chelsea.