Barcelona goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has claimed that in his first year at the club he “played for free,” explaining that his entire earnings went toward reimbursing Juventus for the cost of terminating his previous deal early in order to complete the transfer.
The player described how his move from Juventus to Barcelona required an early termination of his contract in Italy, which came with a significant financial penalty that he personally agreed to shoulder. Rather than seeing the fee absorbed fully by the clubs, he said his wages in his first season in Spain were effectively redirected to cover that obligation, leaving him without net salary income for that campaign.
Such an arrangement underscores how modern transfers can involve creative financial structures, where players, not just clubs, assume part of the economic burden in order to force through a desired move. Agents and club executives often bundle signing bonuses, loyalty payments and buyout contributions into broader packages, meaning headline salary figures can hide substantial behind-the-scenes costs for the footballer.
