Former Barça Atletic coach picks one player who he feels will break into the first team | OneFootball

Albert Sanchez, former coach of Barça Atletic and a key figure in the club’s youth development over the past four seasons, has expressed high hopes for young defender Jofre Torrents.

In a recent interview with SPORT, Sanchez confidently tipped the teenager to become Barcelona’s main left-back in the coming years, even going so far as to suggest he could eventually challenge Alejandro Balde for the position.

Sanchez was asked about one player who he feels would go on to become an important part of the first team. To which he replied,

“Maybe you’ll be surprised because I didn’t get to have him at Barça Atletic,” said Sanchez, “but I’ll tell you that I think Jofre Torrents is going to be Barça’s left-back.

“I don’t forget Balde, but I think Jofre Torrents is very good and in these years at the club he is one of the players who has surprised me the most. I think he will succeed at Barça.”

Endorsing the Fernandez cousins

Sanchez’s endorsement carries weight, especially considering his hands-on experience with several of Barcelona’s top young prospects.

He also shared his thoughts on Guille and Toni Fernandez, two promising cousins who are currently involved in the first team’s pre-season under Hansi Flick.

Jofre Torrents impressed against FC Seoul. (Picture courtesy: FC Barcelona Official Website)

“Guille and Toni are very talented,” he said. “They were starters at Barça Atlètic in 2008, they were first-year youth players, and that is very commendable.

“They are different – Guille is a very powerful interior and gets into the box well. Toni stands out for his scoring ability, which is very important.

“Succeeding in the first team is complicated because the competition is fierce, but both have a high level.”

Thoughts on Dro

Another player who caught Sanchez’s eye is Pedro ‘Dro’ Fernandez, a rising talent who made headlines by jumping from Juvenil B straight to the first team. “I know him well because last preseason I had him at Barça Atletic,” Sanchez recalled.

“At that time, he had Quim Junyent in front of him in Juvenil B and Unai Hernandez in Barça Atletic.

“Now it may be surprising that he has jumped from the Juvenil B to the first team, but he has a lot of talent. He is a differential player. He has a Barça profile,” he explained.