Barcelona to promote four breakthrough La Masia gems to first-team

It’s been an eventful season at Barcelona so far.

Trying to defend their La Liga crown from last campaign, the Catalans have not done particularly well in the league, currently sitting eight points behind leaders Real Madrid.

A slow start meant that they were constantly playing third fiddle to Madrid and Girona, but have managed to find their footing for the final third of the season.

They also fell out of Copa del Rey contention in the quarter-finals to Athletic Club, and lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Real Madrid, which eventually led to Xavi resigning from his post – but at the end of the season.

At the same time, though, there have been a lot of upticks for the club.

La Masia has proven to be the best academy in world football once again, giving ‘birth’ to several breakthrough players this season, four of which are looking at official promotion soon.

The charismatic cuatro

The four players in question, as reported by SPORT are Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Hector Fort, and Marc Guiu.

Lamine Yamal has been one of the protagonists of Barcelona’s season, at 16, and has already touched double digit in goal contributions.

As a left-footed right-winger coming through La Masia, the similarities with Lionel Messi cannot be missed, which has only added to the hype.

Pau Cubarsi, meanwhile, debuted only during the second half of the season, and shown maturity well beyond his years playing central defence. He is hailed as the best CB project to come out of the academy since Gerard Pique.

Moving on to Hector Fort, the 17-year-old has only played a handful of game so far this season, but has definitely done enough to win over the confidence of the coaching staff and fans alike.

While a right-back by trade, Fort has also played as a left-back multiple times already, which speaks to his ability.

Last but definitely not the least, Marc Guiu seems to be La Masia’s biggest striker bet in decades.

The Spaniard has already scored two goals this season, including the winner against Athletic Club, and will compete with Robert Lewandowski and Vitor Roque for a starting spot next season.