Barca’s academy has been churning out world-class talent at a crazy rate for decades now. Could these 5 be the next big football stars?
Abel Ruiz
The striker appears to be one of the next in line to gain promotion to the first-team as he trains from time to time with the seniors, and that’s despite finding goals rather hard to come by with the B side — 9 goals and 3 assists in 62 games.
He has made his official debut in La Liga in the last season, playing 21 minutes in the 2-0 win over Getafe.
Ruiz does a lot more than scoring though, with his movement being a huge asset for his team. He’s often used as a false nine, dropping deeper and providing service to other attackers.
Ruiz’s name has been appearing in the rumour mill in the last year or so with several English giants reportedly interested in his services but the 19-year-old appears to be committed to Barca, signing a new contract last summer.
Inaki Pena
Labelled ‘the heir to Ter Stegen’ by Marca, the 20-year-old goalkeeper was an unused sub for Barca in several matches because of Neto’s injury earlier this season.
Whenever Pena is not a part of the first-team squad, he’s an everyday starter for the B side and boasts a solid record at that level.
“He is a very complete goalkeeper as he has been runner-up in Europe, he has played two European Championships, something that causes him to have that extra experience and an international background,” Santi Denia, who coached Pena with Spain’s U19s, says.
Inaki has 33 games for Barca B under his belt while conceding 30 goals and keeping 11 clean sheets.
Alex Collado
With 2 goals and 3 assists in 15 matches, the attacking midfielder is one of the top performers for the reserves.
The La Masia graduate, who is capable of playing in several positions in midfield, is mostly utilised fairly deep this season. He snubbed offers from numerous sides around Europe to extend his Barcelona contract in 2018.
Riqui Puig
The 20-year-old is one of the top talents in Catalonia and both the media and the fans back him to become the next big deal in Barca’s midfield. Puig is a combination of Andres Iniesta and Xavi, as he can go from controlling the team’s tempo with his calm passing to beating several opposition players with his exquisite dribbling.
It is rumoured that Barca want Riqui to leave on loan to get experience at a higher level. However, the young Spaniard wants to stay put and wait for his chance. Barca currently have seven players fighting for three starting spots in midfield, so no wonder the boss is yet to call him for a match with the senior team.
Puig has had a very good pre-season with Barca.
Ansu Fati
The winger is the shiniest gem at La Masia. The 17-year-old has never played for Barca B in fact, he made the jump from the U19 straight to the first team. He has registered three goals and one assist in 12 games. Besides, he beat several records since the start of the season.
Fati is the youngest player to score for Barca in La Liga, as well as the youngest player to score in the Champions League. The sky is the limit for young Ansu.
Fati is a born goalscorer.
Follow our socials Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Google News.
