Engen Out, Aleixandri In: Behind the curtains of an era-defining swap

After the January debacle and Laia Aleixandri’s signing, it was only a matter of time before final news of Ingrid Syrstad Engen leaving Barça Femení came. But what is the impact of this change, and how did it happen.

Change of player, change of era

This week in transfer news: reports of Manchester City and former La Masía defender Laia Aleixandri to join Barça Femení, and of Barcelona midfielder Ingrid Syrstad Engen to leave most likely to Lyon. These are two incredibly predictable moves, especially taken together. Aleixandri and Engen can both play centre-back and defensive midfield, with different balances of strengths but overall a great output.

With Engen seemingly convinced of her continuity after uncertainty throughout the year, there would seem no need to sign a player of the same profile as Engen in Aleixandri – especially with Patri Guijarro as permanent starter still at the club and because Engen has more big-game experience (and defensive consistency) than Aleixandri.

The most significant change with this player swap in all but name is that it shifts Barcelona Femení into a slightly different era. They have reigned supreme over Spain and Europe in the 2020s, with a squad built on a foundation of La Masía but sometimes holding back the younger talents for extra marinading while select international players come in to fill select gaps: during this era, the Dutch Lieke Martens, Stefanie van der Gragt and Esmee Brugts, England’s Toni Duggan, Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh and Ellie Roebuck, Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala or Scandinavian internationals like Fridolina Rolfö, Caroline Graham Hansen and Engen herself.

It’s a tried-and-tested Barcelona Femení template going all the way back to Maribel Domínguez and Patty Pérez in the early 2000s. Mexican internationals among the first foreigners allowed to play in the league, their combination of different styles, skills and experience, plus a popular image, meshed well with the otherwise homegrown squad. Barça – both back then and in the last decade – succeeded in covering all bases to boost popularity and depth of skill in a limited-numbers squad.

In the last few years, though, with women’s football growing exponentially in popularity across Europe, there are different marketing opportunities … while Barça Femení is a popular team globally, recent moves (most visibly the growing prominence of Barça B and C, the long-awaited return to the Copa Catalunya, and making the Estadi Johan Cruyff home to the Catalan national teams) suggest it sees its main commercial core to be curating and marketing its Catalan identity.

This is something that has always been part of Barça Femení, but leaning into it – especially to the point of recruiting primarily players from Catalunya – may redefine the team from its developing image of global powerhouse to almost the antithesis: a team of locals taking on the world.

Focus on: Aleixandri In

Sources have told Blaugranagram that after Barcelona expressed interest in bringing Aleixandri in, the Manchester City defender was not receptive to any of that club’s attempts at renewal negotiations, and so the final trigger for Barcelona to sign her may have been driven by a feeling of responsibility. Aleixandri could be without a club over the summer if they didn’t.

And while Aleixandri’s single-mindedness could be perceived as absolute loyalty to her childhood club, the idea she is a true culer at heart, the same information tells Blaugranagram that Aleixandri does not have that dedication. In fact, she would have liked to stay at Manchester City, but knows they have no real options in the Champions League. Besides this, her decision, and Barcelona’s, were driven by economics.

Aleixandri and Barcelona both know the concept of a La Masia talent returning to the club like a prodigal daughter is incredibly powerful – with Alexia Putellas and Ona Batlle as proof. Having this infinitely loyal homegrown talent pool contributes to the brands of both the club and the players: and is incredibly marketable. Aleixandri, for her part, has not seen as many personal commercial opportunities as her English teammates while at Manchester City, and believes the offers and sponsorships will be more lucrative in Spain. Barça Femení know the power of their own myth-making as the Catalan ideal of a player is what elevated the image of the team even before they won everything going.

This, and Barcelona’s record of attack-minded defenders, is reason enough to ‘bring Aleixandri home’ even if some of the sports management are not convinced of her defensive level and may see her as more likely to alternate with Mapi León (needing them to retain players like Irene Paredes and Martina Fernández).

All to say, Aleixandri to Barcelona is not a transfer of mutual affection, but economic opportunities and fan expectations.

Focus on: Engen Out

Why can Barcelona not have both players? While la Liga F may be a longer domestic season than others in Europe, it has a limited squad list of 25 full-time registered players and the opportunity for 3 others to play a certain number of games. That is, Barcelona cannot have multiple top-level players for each position as they simply wouldn’t be able to play most of the season and very few players of that calibre are going to stay somewhere they only (might) get opportunities in cups during the second half of the season.

It seems Engen is a victim of this, with sources telling Blaugranagram that she (like Walsh, too, in January) came to a resigned acceptance that Barça prioritises its homegrown or Catalan players, understanding this and holding no ill will towards the club they were happy to be part of, but knowing that they would not continue to personally develop at Barcelona.

And while this can be generally true, multiple separate sources have told Blaugranagram of a reported incident during the winter break which apparently made the impression of this situation worse. In a moment of poor communication, Pere Romeu apparently told Walsh and Engen that he wouldn’t “count on them” in certain matches, giving minutes to youngsters before bringing in the big attacking guns. This phrase will be commonly heard by Barça fans, frequently when a player gets the medical all-clear but is not being counted on to play in the next match – its sense in Spanish, and certainly in how it is used at Barça, is a transient state. In English, however, the implication is more permanent, and while the misunderstanding was resolved with the foreign players, it left an impression. The sources say it left Walsh more aware than ever that communication would be harder and less precise, taking a mental toll.

Engen, who stayed in January, wanted to be convinced through action that she would have prominence going forward. This initially looked positive, especially with the gap created through Walsh leaving, but with Patri’s continuation, Martina returning from loan at Everton in spectacular form, and work on Paredes’ renewal all meaning more players in the roles Engen fills, the club has had to keep trying to reassure her in the last months. But disagreement in their own ranks – some of the sports staff wanting to keep Engen because of her defensive level, with others considering her the surplus to requirements – did not help them.

Aleixandri, of such a similar profile, being brought in may have been the final nail in the coffin, but also helping her on her way is the continued attention from Lyon – which she is rumoured to be leaving Barça to join. Despite their declining form, Lyon are still European royalty and it is incredibly flattering to be so sought-after for them, especially when feeling sidelined by your current club. Maybe the grass will not be greener in terms of trophies, but if a player gets the game time they want, and it improves their mental outlook, such a move may work out for everyone’s happiness.