Barcelona’s 18-year-old La Masia gem seen as natural successor for club captain – report

Barcelona have seen a number of young talents force their way into the first-team setup in recent times and establish themselves.

The likes of Alejandro Balde, Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, and Marc Casado have all become key players in the setup and many more are knocking on the doors.

Aron Yaakobishvili – the future of the goalkeeping department

One such young talent who is tipped for a bright future is young goalkeeper Aron Yaakobishvili, with Mundo Deportivo reporting that many within Barcelona see him as the future natural successor to Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

The 18-year-old shot-stopper has been turning heads with his exceptional performances in the club’s youth teams, marking himself as one of the most promising talents in his position.

Barcelona’s scouts were impressed by Yaakobishvili’s rapid development with amateur side Atletic Sant Just and brought him to La Masia in 2018.

Standing at over 1.90m tall, Yaakobishvili dominates the penalty area during aerial plays. His quick reactions make him formidable in one-on-one situations, while his footwork – a key requirement for Barça goalkeepers – allows him to contribute to build-up play from the back.

Since joining La Masia, Yaakobishvili has steadily progressed through Barcelona’s youth teams, competing in both national and international tournaments.

With Ter Stegen ruled out with injury, Yaakobishvili has been asked to fill in as the third goalkeeper in the senior team in recent weeks while he also made his Barça Atletic debut last week and impressed.

Despite fierce competition, with the likes of Ander Astralaga and Inaki Pena, his profile perfectly matches Barcelona’s ideal goalkeeper: technically skilled, tactically intelligent, and a natural leader. As such, a first-team breakthrough in the coming years seems certain.