Barcelona may have an in-house solution to their left-wing problem as Nico Williams deal stalls

FC Barcelona’s pipeline of talents has rarely disappointed in times of need. Whenever a position needs plugging in the first team, La Masia already has a tailor-made profile raring to go.

With the intensifying pessimism surrounding Nico Williams, the Catalan giants face the stark possibility of entering the season without a natural left-winger who excels in 1v1 scenarios.

However, this is where Barcelona’s budding reserves tend to shine, with Dani Rodriguez emerging as the latest solution to Barça’s dwindling options.

Rodriguez, who was a standout performer for Barça in the UEFA Youth League, is currently enjoying his final days of vacation after triumphing in the European Under-19 Championship.

Barcelona former director has high praise for the teenage sensation

Signing a player from Real Sociedad was no easy task for the club. Jordi Roura, the former coordinator of the Barcelona youth system, shared this challenge with SPORT.

“Signing Basque players is very complicated but you have to be very quick and decisive. Our scout in Euskadi warned us about a great talent from Real Sociedad and I decided to travel to San Sebastian,” he remarked.

Jordi Roura recounted a scouting trip where Dani was conspicuously absent from the starting lineup, likely because his team wanted to conceal his talents from the scout.

Despite only playing the last 15 minutes, Dani impressed Roura with his power, left-footed skill, and ability to dribble past opponents.

 “It was a day with a tremendous storm of rain and wind and I was surprised to find that Dani was not in the starting eleven that day. Someone knew that I was going to see him and they decided that he would only play the last quarter of an hour.”

“A few minutes in which he was able to see that he had the qualities that had been promised to him. I saw a small player, but very powerful with a lot of quality on the left foot, that day I already liked his ability to unbalance,” he stated.

Roura briefly watched Dani play and quickly noticed his exceptional skill. What stood out about Dani was his speed and explosive start, which gave him time to make effective decisions on the field.

“I was able to enjoy him for a short time, but it was enough to see that he is a very unbalanced player. He has a lot of talent and what makes him special is his speed and the powerful start that allows him to gain time to make good decisions,” he concluded.

Time will tell how young Dani’s career develops in the years to come, but he remains eager to stay at Barcelona, having rejected offers from Athletic Club this summer. Hansi Flick is likely to turn to him when the time is right.