Barcelona’s 15 wonderkids on Football Manager 2024: Gavi, Yamal… | OneFootball

La Masia has quite the reputation of being one of the best youth academies in the world and Barcelona currently have plenty of young talents on their hands.

From Lionel Messi to Andres Iniesta, Barcelona have produced a plethora of world-class stars over the years and we can’t help but get excited about their current prospects.

Thanks to the FMScout database, we have identified the 15 Barcelona wonderkids on Football Manager 2024 that you will want to keep your eye on.

Mikayil Faye

The Senegalese defender joined Barcelona B in the summer and will be hoping to make a transition to the first team in good time. Rafael Marquez thinks the teenager has what it takes to make it into Xavi’s squad.

“Physically he is quite strong and intense, although he also has enough qualities to get the ball from behind,” Marquez said, via SPORT. “Given the needs, it will be assessed whether it is necessary or not.”

Eman Kospo

Barcelona picked up Kospo this summer and promptly sent him into their academy to continue his development. The youngster captains the Switzerland under-16 side and looks to have bags of potential.

Kospo predominantly plays as a centre-half and looks to have a bright future ahead of him. He will continue his development with Barcelona Atletic and will be hoping to make his senior debut in the near future.

Pau Cubarsi

The Spanish centre-back has been in Barcelona’s ranks since 2018 and he has been in and around the first team. Xavi involved the 16-year-old in Barcelona’s latest pre-season and he has trained with the first team on several occasions.

Alejandro Balde

The heir to Jordi Alba’s throne. Barcelona fans know they have a star on their hands in Balde and the 20-year-old has been developing nicely under Xavi of late.

He produced seven goal contributions from left-back last season and upon Alba’s departure, he’s been given more responsibility this season. In a few years from now, we wouldn’t be surprised if he ranks as one of the best full-backs in the world.

Hector Fort

Fort looks like a handy player as he is comfortable playing as a centre-half or right-back. The 17-year-old has had the opportunity to train with the first-team under Xavi and it might not be long until we see him making his senior debut.

Pau Prim

The Spanish holding midfielder has already been tipped to become Sergio Busquets’ long-term successor at the club. By all accounts, Xavi seems to be a fan of the 17-year-old and he will no doubt be keeping a close eye on his development.

Like Busquets, Prim has a natural ability to break up the play and his technical skills serve him well when distributing the ball in the middle of the pitch. Watch this space.

Marc Bernal

Bernal has all of the composure and natural ability on the ball that you would expect from a La Masia-trained midfielder. The 16-year-old is yet to make his senior debut, but the early signs from playing in youth football are very promising.

Pedri

You don’t need us to tell you just how good Pedri is.

Gavi

Still only 19 years old, Gavi has already racked up over 100 senior appearances for Barcelona. The midfielder has also made a name for himself on the international stage and is only going to get better with more experience.

The youngster has been a mainstay in the starting XI since Xavi arrived at the club and while the Barcelona boss rates him highly, he still thinks there is some room for improvement.

“Gavi is a very dynamic player, but it’s difficult for him to hold his position. He can run and press three players in a row and sometimes we have to stop him,” Xavi told reporters.

Angel Alarcon

The 19-year-old forward was handed his senior debut last season and he has frequently made an appearance in Xavi’s match-day squads. The Barcelona boss clearly sees something in Alarcon and we’re eager to see more from him.

Lucas Roman

The Argentine-born 19-year-old was picked up from Ferro Carril Oeste in January and he’s since impressed for Barcelona B. Roman predominately plays as a right-winger, although he can also play through the middle.

Ferro president Daniel Pandolfi has even compared the youngster to a certain Argentine legend: “What they told me in Barcelona is that they saw things in 16-year-old Roman that were like (Lionel) Messi.”

Lamine Yamal

The hype surrounding Yamal has gone into overdrive recently and for good reason. He’s already making waves in La Liga at just 16 years old and his technical skills are far superior to the vast majority of other players in his age group.

“Of course I am surprised by what he does at his age, he’s only just 16, ” Xavi told reporters when asked about Yamal. “Everyone is – I am not an exception. He nearly always makes the best decision, which is what makes the difference in football.

“We have big expectations, even more so when you see what you see [on the pitch]. He is not starting games on a whim. He starts because we feel he can effect matches.”

Fermin Lopez

Lopez has made his breakthrough into the Barcelona first-team this year and the future looks incredibly bright for the youngster. He produced a man-of-the-match display against Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League and he’s already stood up tall with several memorable moments.

The attacking midfielder has an eye for goal and all of the technical skills to make it at a club like Barcelona. We can’t wait to see what the future holds.

Noah Darvich

Barcelona reportedly spent €5million to sign Darvich from SC Freiburg in the summer. The 17-year-old attacking midfielder looks to have a bright future ahead of him as he is considered one of Germany’s brightest emerging talents.

Marc Guiu

Guiu isn’t your typical La Masia graduate. The 17-year-old is a traditional number nine and his razor-sharp instincts served him well on his senior debut as he scored after just 30 seconds with his second touch of the game.

“The whole club should celebrate his goal,” Xavi told reporters. “It’s a demonstration that we’re working very well with the youth system.

“I can see the desire to play in these boys’ faces, they’re not at all scared like my generation. They look at me with desire, telling me to play them, they look at me with positivity.”