The Youth Thread | Even our kids win trebles | Barça B in La Segunda & other Blaugrana Kids

Man I hope Alena stays but his buyout is only 3M right now, goes up to 12M on July 1, so Tottenham is apparently offering him a big raise (and lots of first team play whispering) to join now.

 

It looks like Alena will stay (and his buy out will then jump from 3 to 12 M Euros which should take pressure off), however we lost another gem: Mateu Morey (lb) to Bayern follows Mboula to Monaco and Garcia to ManC. All 3 considered La Masia cracks and all going to big clubs, which is a bad sign if they think that they can crack Bayern or Man C easier than Barca. Monaco at least is a small step down due to smaller budget so more playing time for younger players. We are at least getting about 8M for the 3 but that's nothing if even one of them matured to be a Barca starter.

http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...-back-mateu-morey-joins-bayern-munich-6133592

 

Now confirmed, Alena signed a new deal with Barca, and his release is not 3M, not the 12M it was supposed to become on July 1st, but 75M.

 

Hmm, Bayern was working to sign Morey, but did not like the story leaking, plus its leak spurred Barca to whisper sweet nothings and sign big checks or something, point is Morey is staying for now: http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...celona-they-will-not-sign-mateu-morey-6136175

However a bunch of Barca B players are leaving / out of contract a few of whom were starters who led Barca B to Segunda, most notably Gumbau whom Lucho played a bunch two years ago when we had a bunch of injuries, also Suarez (keeper), Xemi, and Perea: http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...xemi-will-not-continue-at-barcelona-b-6139224

Meahwhile Tello finally sold for just 4M plus 1M in variables and some upside if he is sold for more by Real Betis. And Deulofeu is bought back (sold for 6M, brought back for 12M). Sandro signs for Everton on July 3rd for 6M (he left us for free). Deulofeu and Denis Suarez, who both were on loan at Sevilla, try to get Spain past Germany in the U21 final today.


Pedro states what we fans all see as well: http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...lonas-use-of-la-masia-in-recent-years-6138296

 

Good summary: Valverde has chosen six B team players to join up with the first team for pre-season. The six are: Carles Aleñá, Marlon Santos, Marc Cucurella, Adrià Ortolà, Sergi Palencia and the Brazilian Vitinho, whose arrival is not official but will be in the coming days. If they do well in Europe they will also go to US with the first team.

http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...n-barcelona-youngsters-for-pre-season-6155399

 

5 new Barca B players:
http://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2017/07/18/596e3919468aeb75048b4637.html
http://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2017/07/17/596ce64b468aeb3f0c8b459c.html

The transfermarkt roster shows where the new Barca B players came from, some from our own Juvenil A, others returned from loans, or borrowed or bought from other clubs. It also shows estimated value of the players (Alena the runaway leader there at 5M): https://www.transfermarkt.com/fc-barcelona-b/startseite/verein/2464

 

strange to see a Spain U21 squad without a single Barca player in it. but it reflects the priorities of the current board and is something that needs to be worked on over the next few years.

 

Sport interview with Alena, he talks of talented youth players:
10.- Which players coming through at Barça should I keep an eye on?
There are a lot of strong players. Vitinho is super special, De Galarreta... we have signed really well. Also the players from the Juvenil are pushing, Bernabé, Collado... and, of course, there's the little Xavi Simons.

 

Some more good news from Barca B:
Barcelona have reached an agreement with B-team player Sergi Palencia to extend his contract by three years, meaning it'll now expire in 2020. His release clause has been set at 25 million euros, but that figure could double if he earns a promotion to the first-team squad. The right-back is a captain of the B team and he was vital in helping them win promotion to the second division last season.

Looking into the future, while Semedo (23) is only 2 years older, Palencia's path to being a starter is a bit complicated, but he could perhaps become the Digne to Semedo's Alba, and we could once and for all stop playing Roberto or Vidal at RB.

Of course if we kept Grimaldo we could have saved the Digne money and spent it on a real RB before last season.

 

He was a late signing by Barca B but is already tipped to play with the big club in early Copa match against Murcia (of course that is where first teamers like Pablo also want to show off and earn Valverde's confidence):
http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...ive-jose-arnaiz-a-chance-at-barcelona-6355183

He is great with both feet, maybe the return of Pedrito?
Sweet goal:

This clip is just 1 minute 43 seconds and shows Barca B plus earlier footage:

 

As you may now the U-17 World Cup is being played currently in India and Barca is well represented on the squad, all 4 Barca players started today's big win 2-1 over France to make the quarterfinals: https://www.transfermarkt.com/spanien-u17/startseite/verein/12395
So both fullbacks Miranda and Morey, the left wing Gomez and the center forward Abel Ruiz. Ruiz scored the winning goal on a late penalty and is drawing attention from England and Juventus, currently his release clause is "just 3M". A true Center Forward in the Luis Sanchez mold it says here: http://indianexpress.com/article/sp...lse-9s-abel-ruiz-a-true-blue-forward-4890819/

So far USA, Mali, Iran, Spain, Germany, and England are in the quarterfinals. Brazil plays Honduras, and Ghana plays Niger for the last 2 spots. USA plays England! Spain plays Iran (who beat Mexico), Mali plays the other African team which wins, and in a seemingly cruel twist Germany likely plays Brazil who probably should not meet so soon.
http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/matches/index.html

Brazil features a huge guy, Lincoln, who supposedly Barca and Real are battling over: http://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2017/10/17/59e62b4446163f6c058b4581.html

 

U-17 World Cup in India is down to 4 teams after England beat USA 4-1, Brazil beat Germany 2-1, Spain beat Iran 3-1, and Mali beat Ghana 2-1. England play Brazil and Spain play Mali (both on Weds 25th October). In the Spain match Abel Ruiz opened the scoring and Barca teammate Sergio Gomez scored the 2nd goal.

 

Sobering summary of youth who have debuted in the past few years and how few have stuck with the big club, nice run down of where they are now, but it is a bit incomplete (did not see Grimaldo mentioned, then again he and Muniesa debuted under Pep), also did not mention youth who left as youth without even debuting (like Mboula and Moha and Garcia and others before them). http://www.sport-english.com/en/new...buted-at-barcelona-in-last-five-years-6377928

 

Spain v. England in the U-17 World Championship FINAL (SATURDAY - 730 a.m. Pacific, 1030 a.m. Eastern in much of north america), after Spain beat Mali 3-1 and England beat Brazil 3-1 (who had earlier beat Germany). It is a repeat of the European U-17 Final of a couple months ago which was won by Spain. Abel Ruiz of Barca has 6 goals now after 2 more in the semifinal, he is considered in the mold of a true center forward, with Lewa as a reference point: http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/new...match-excites-spain-skipper-ruiz-2917780.html The team usually starts Abel, and three other Barca players, 2 fullbacks and a winger, they also have 1 Barca keeper and 2 Barca CBs who don't usually start and former La Masia Eric Garcia stolen by City this summer, also not starting (and one of the youngest at 16).

 

Brazil beat Mali 2-0 for 3rd and with halftime upon us Spain leads England 2-1, both Spanish goals from Gomez a 17 yr old left winger for Barca

 

Barca B host 2nd placed Huesca at 1:30 Eastern, 10:30 Pacific time in much of North America (so in 35 minutes).

 

Hello, I don’t know if this is the right place, you guys know where I can contact a Barcelona youth coach? Is for marketing purposes, thanks.

 

I don't think any of us English speaking Barca fans can help much (but maybe I'm wrong), maybe reach out to the club directly via their website? Or try starting with one of the overseas academies barca runs?

 

Two more Barca B players make their debut
for the big club, always a big moment, though only a small percentage wind up playing full time for the big club, and even their we often have players who do so for just a year or three before moving on for more PT elsewhere (Jeffren, Bojan, Fontas, Jonathan dos Santos, Cuenca, Tello, Munir, Sandro, Masip, etc.; and you could even add Bartra and Thiago though Barca did not want either to go).

https://www.fcbarcelona.com/footbal...debut-first-team-camp-nou-fc-barcelona-murcia
Oriol is truly homegrown, Costas is only on loan but we supposedly have a buy option albeit for a very high price (10M) but Celta may be willing to accept a lower amount. https://tribuna.com/fcbarcelona/en/news/2471069/

I posted this link in October, it includes a list of all debuts post Pep: https://www.sport-english.com/en/ne...buted-at-barcelona-in-last-five-years-6377928

 

Nice quick read on the other Busquets and his similarities to Busquets 1.0 https://www.sport-english.com/en/ne...els-between-sergio-and-oriol-busquets-6460562

 

This is a pretty big signing on a free transfer too, partly to make up for departure of Eric Garcia who left Barca for Man City. Barca get 16 y.o. Iker San Vicente from Osasuna who refused to renew his contract at Osasuna: http://www.marca.com/en/football/barcelona/2017/12/03/5a23f37e46163f652b8b45af.html