Internal frustrations at Barcelona over the recent exit of 20-year-old La Masia prodigy | OneFootball

Barcelona parted ways with promising attacking midfielder Unai Hernandez in the winter transfer window, selling him to Al-Ittihad in a deal worth €4.5 million plus €500,000 in add-ons.

The 20-year-old was held in very high regard at La Masia and even made the captain of Barça Atletic this season.

However, his contract stood to expire in the summer later this year and with no renewal agreement, the Catalans opted to cash in on the youngster rather than lose him for free at the end of the season.

Frustrations at Barcelona over Hernandez’s exit

Now, Cadena SER reports that there is some internal frustration bubbling up at Barcelona over how the situation of Unai Hernandez’s contract was handled.

Indeed, some officials at the club believe action should have been taken earlier to secure a player of the 20-year-old talent’s quality.

Unai Hernandez left Barcelona for Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Despite being the best player and the captain of the Barça Atletic team, Hernandez was one of the lowest-paid players in the squad.

The Blaugrana had an option to automatically extend his contract for two more years, but since it was signed before his 18th birthday, the clause would have been practically void, as it could be annulled in court.

Some directors at Barcelona do not understand why the youth football staff did not secure the player’s future sooner, especially since he continued to play and impress with just five months remaining on his contract.

The threat from Saudi Arabia

Additionally, Barcelona also see the threat posed by the Middle Eastern market to their youth system.

Unai Hernandez left while Pau Prim, who has not renewed his contract, also had an offer from Qatar. The 18-year-old is likely to leave once his deal runs out in the summer and has been exiled from the Barça Atletic squad in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Arnau Pradas has also attracted interest from the Middle East, although the talented winger wishes to stay at Barcelona.