Why is the model so expensive to sustain?
Running the academy costs Barcelona roughly 5 million pounds a year, making it one of the most expensive youth setups in Europe, and that figure buys coaching staff across a dozen age groups, boarding facilities, education, medical and psychological support, all sustained for players who may never make a first-team appearance. A club signs a promising 10-year-old with no certainty he debuts before age 18 or 19, if he debuts at all, which means the financial return on any single prospect is uncertain for the better part of a decade. Few ownership groups are willing to fund that kind of multi-year uncertainty at scale, particularly when a proven 22-year-old is available to buy outright in the same transfer window.
