Pau Victor’s Career Takes a Dark Turn Following His Departure from FC Barcelona

In the summer of 2024, FC Barcelona faced significant restrictions. Unable to make expensive signings, the Catalan club kept its spending to a minimum. Dani Olmo joined from RB Leipzig, while Pau Victor arrived from Girona to provide attacking options behind Robert Lewandowski. Both players had to navigate La Liga’s sanctions against Barcelona, which initially made them ineligible for registration at the start of the season. Although things eventually settled down, Pau Victor’s season has been mixed. He had a limited role, featuring 29 times but only playing 379 minutes (averaging 13 minutes per match) and contributing 2 goals and 1 assist.

Though he could have continued to be a backup option, Pau Victor was ultimately sold this summer. The Portuguese club Braga recognized his potential and paid €12 million (plus €3 million in bonuses) to secure his services, making it their record transfer fee for a player. Ambitious about the move, he stated: “I spoke with the coach, and he gave me incredible confidence that I hadn’t felt in a long time. He is a very detail-oriented coach, focused on helping players individually. I believe he can help me understand the game better, find open spaces, and create more scoring opportunities, which is crucial. His style of play is very similar to the club I came from.”

Pau Victor’s Disappointing Performance

Pau Victor aimed to follow in the footsteps of Abel Ruiz, a former Braga striker who moved from Barcelona and became an Olympic champion with Spain in 2024. He remarked: “I am confident that SC Braga will help me achieve my dream. Abel Ruiz, who was here, was selected for the national team.” Although his initial performances were promising, things took a downturn. He scored in his second match and netted two goals against Lincoln Red Imps from Gibraltar, but has since gone eight matches without a goal. His struggles are compounded by Braga’s poor start to the season, sitting eighth with six consecutive winless games. As a result, he has lost his starting position to more effective players like Ricardo Horta (4 goals), Rodrigo Zalazar (6 goals and 1 assist), and Fran Navarro (4 goals and 1 assist), while Pau Victor has managed just 3 goals in 15 appearances.

To reignite Pau Victor’s form, coach Carlos Vicens believes he can turn things around and that the real Pau Victor will emerge: “We are trying to relieve the pressure. He is a normal guy who wants to work and succeed. He has integrated quickly into the locker room and everyone welcomed him warmly. He is training hard every day and needs to surpass the expectations of being the club’s most expensive signing. We are all working to improve his performances day by day; he has the intelligence, work ethic, and versatility. It’s just a matter of time before he delivers the performance we all expect from him.” Currently, Braga is waiting for Pau Victor to meet the expectations set for him as a record transfer from FC Barcelona.