Since Laporta was re-elected president of Barcelona in 2021, he has added strength to the squad through free transfers. After all, Barcelona's financial situation at that time was not optimistic, and getting high-quality players without spending money was definitely one of the divine operations.
Let's take a look at the operation of pulling the total:
2021/22: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Depay, Sergio Aguero, Eric Garcia
2022/23: Kessie, Christensen, Bellerin, Marcos Alonso
2023/24: Gundogan, Inigo Martinez
Truth be told, the performances of these free transfer players have been uneven, and they have cost quite a bit. Although the transfer fee is waived, these are well-known players, and the salary requirements are naturally high. By the end of the season, Barcelona had paid around €102.5 million in total to the ten players over the past three years, according to the data website Capology.
However, the active use of the free transfer market has also brought some upside. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Depay, for example, combined for 26 goals and assists in the league in 2021/22, while Andreas Christensen has started a staggering 43 games in the last two seasons.
But if you want to talk about the player who contributed the most on the field at the moment, in my opinion, it is Gundogan!
The German midfielder is best known for his spells for Borussia Dortmund and Manchester City, especially when he regularly scored key goals to help the team win the title.
For example, he scored the winner in Manchester City's 3-2 win over Aston Villa in the final round of the 21/22 Premier League season and lifted the trophy as he lifted the trophy, and scored twice in the FA Cup final the following season to help City win 2-1 over Manchester United. However, it wasn't because of his goals that he became such an important player for Barca.
Gundogan's value lies in two aspects: the first is his appearance.
There's an old saying: "Appearance is the best ability", and this phrase couldn't be more appropriate for Gundogan. He is Barça's player with the most appearances (42), the most starts (36) and the longest minutes (3,375 minutes) in all competitions this season.
This will be especially valuable for Barca as their midfield position has been plagued by injuries lately.
All three midfielders who could have started were injured, with Pedri missing most of the game with soft tissue issues and Gavi suffering a season-reimbursed anterior cruciate ligament tear in November.
These injuries (combined with the departure of Sergio Busquets, who had been a longtime midfielder in the squad last summer), have left Xavi struggling with his formation. In order for the midfield to function properly, we might as well compare the value of Gundogan by the player's "dribbling position".
Andreas Christensen, Frenkie de Jong and Romeu are closer to the traditional 'midfielder', while Gavi, Gundogan and Pedri push forward more often.
Another measure of midfielders is the way and how often they advance with the ball. Take a look at the number of advances they've made per 90 minutes in La Liga this season.
Midfielders who advance the ball with the ball: De Jong, Gavi, Gundogan, Pedri
Midfielders who advance the ball by receiving it behind the opposition midfield line: Gavi, Gundogan, Pedri
Looking at Barca's performances this season, there is no doubt about it: De Jong is one of the best advancing passers in the world, while Gavi, Pedri and Gundogan complement this with their dribbling prowess.
Gundogan's key value to the team is to create chances. Both in terms of quality and quantity. Gundogan is ahead of the other five midfielders in terms of expected assists per 90 minutes and the number of chances created.
Statistically, Gundogan has been Barca's best playmaker in midfield this season, which is particularly important given that the other three players who could have taken on the load (De Jong, Gavi and Pedri) have all suffered injuries this season. He kept pushing forward and creating chances for Lewandowski, which made him one of Barca's most valuable players this season, and arguably Barca's best player this season.
Looking back at those free transfer players signed by Barcelona during the Laporta era, it is difficult to find a better player than Gundogan. His reliability has been crucial to maintaining the stability of the squad, and his evolution into a great chance-creator has proven essential to the team's second-place finish in the Champions League and La Liga.