Barcelona Could Promote One Of Two Talented La Masia Midfielders To The First Team
With the pre-season ahead of the 2023/24 season only a few weeks away, FC Barcelona could find themselves handing opportunities to several young talents to make a case for themselves.
Indeed, reports have suggested that the likes of Lamine Yamal, Aleix Garrido, Marc Casado, and new signing Mikayil Faye could be involved in the pre-season with the first team and possibly make the trip to the United States as well.
Now, AS is reporting that there is a possibility that one of Garrido and Casado could be promoted to the first-team setup for the upcoming campaign.
Garrido, a 19-year-old midfielder, is rated very highly within the club and by first-team manager Xavi Hernandez. The teenage prodigy is said to possess the ‘Barça DNA’ and grew into a regular for Rafa Marquez’s subsidiary team towards the back end of the 2022/23 season, even featuring in the promotion playoff semifinals against Real Madrid Castilla.
The youngster, who is being monitored by Arsenal, made his first-team debut against Elche in April, which remains his solitary appearance for the senior side.
However, given his natural abilities and qualities, the report states that he could find a place in the first-team roster next season as a backup option for the pivot position, where Barcelona are losing Sergio Busquets.
Casado, meanwhile, has been in and around the first-team setup much more frequently than Garrido. The defensive midfielder, who can play at right-back as well, travelled to the USA for pre-season last year, although he played just one time for the senior team in the 2022/23 season – against Viktoria Plzen.
Casado has been a permanent fixture for Barça Atletic under Rafa Marquez. But given that he is a natural pivot midfielder, there could be space for him in Xavi’s plans next season.
Much will depend on how the youngsters fare in the pre-season, but as things stand, one of Garrido and Casado could become a part of the first team.
