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Through La Masia, Barcelona have had the opportunity to pluck out some of the most exciting talents across the world. These players tend to be raw prodigies at the time of their recruitment, and are groomed to become superstars of the future.
Considered to be one of the finest sporting institutions ever, La Masia has been home to the who's who of football for ages now. The pinnacle of the institution's success came in 2012 when Barcelona fielded a more than competent XI, consisting purely of La Masia graduates, against Levante. This is a testament to the credibility of the academy in its own being.
Barcelona's complicated relationship with La Masia
It is common knowledge by now that the likes of Pepe Reina, Mauro Icardi, Mikel Arteta, and many more spent the initial stages of their careers with Barca's esteemed academy. However, there are still a bunch of unrecognized stalwarts that slipped through the vision of the mainstream. Former Barcelona captain Sergi Barjuán and UCL winner Luis Garcia are some of the notable examples that fit this bill.
Over the past few years, the great names associated with the Catalan joint have been dominated by the graduates of the past. Barcelona have slowly shifted their focus from developing their youth to acquiring already-proven players on massive fees and wages. As a result, some of La Masia's most disappointing products have been from the post-2010 batch.
Even so, there have been a few gems that have managed to trickle their way through. Here, we take a look at the five best talents that completed their footballing education in La Masia and started their senior careers in the post-2011 era, with or outside Barcelona:
#5 Álex Grimaldo | SL Benfica
The one that got away, Alex Grimaldo is one of the few players who, despite having risen up the ranks at Barcelona, departed the club without making a single appearance for the Blaugrana.
With Jordi Alba proving to be indispensable in the left-back slot, Grimaldo's decision to continue his development elsewhere was deemed risky at the time. However, seeing that Alba is still the number one choice at the said position six years later shows that his La Masia counterpart did the right thing by moving to Benfica in 2016.
Since then, Barcelona have used as many as four players to deputize for Alba, none of whom are currently contracted to the club. Meanwhile, Grimaldo has flourished overseas, turning into an inventive full-back with excellent dribbling abilities. The 25-year-old Spaniard has accumulated an impressive 54 goal contributions in over 200 games for the Portuguese club.
With the demand for offensive fullbacks at its peak in modern football, players like Grimaldo are understandably highly sought after. The former La Masia prodigy has been constantly linked to a move back to Camp Nou in addition to other rumors. It seems Grimaldo will have to make yet another career-defining decision sooner rather than later.
#4 Marc Cucurella | Getafe CF
Another casualty on the left-flank, Marc Cucurella was sold to Getafe in 2020, after spending a season with the Azulones, on loan.
Graduating from La Masia in 2017, the Catalan defender was then promoted to the B team where he went on to make 54 appearances. Impressed by his defensive contributions as well as attacking output, Barcelona signed him as a squad player in 2018. But they immediately loaned him to fellow La Liga side Eibar, after just seven minutes of action with the first team.
The 23-year-old Spaniard has evolved from being a traditional left-back to a full fledged fullback, making the western flank of the pitch his own. Cucurella's superior technical abilities and close control of the ball have brought in a hoard of suitors for the former La Masia resident. Brighton are one of many clubs rumored to be monitoring his situation closely.
Cucurella still has a lot to prove, having only made 119 senior appearances in his career so far. Whether he follows in Jordi Alba's footsteps to become an offensive defender or adapts himself to a more advanced stance is yet to be seen. Regardless, Cucurella is without doubt one of the brightest talents let go by Barcelona in the past decade.
Also read: 10 most disappointing graduates from Barcelona's La Masia academy in the 21st century
#3 Riqui Puig | FC Barcelona
Riqui Puig is the first player on this list still contracted to Barcelona. His steep rise from being a La Masia mainstay to a contender for the starting spot in the first team has been nothing short of remarkable. The 21-year-old playmaker possesses a distinct kind of mentality, perfectly suited for the Blaugrana.
A regular starter under the stewardship of Quique Setien, Puig was one of the few shining lights in the Spanish manager's torrid half season at Barcelona's helm. Following a change in personnel, the visionary dribbler found himself on the fringes of the squad. New boss Ronald Koeman has preferred fellow La Masian, Ilaix Moriba, over the much more experienced Catalan.
Nevertheless, Puig has capitalized on the rare opportunities provided to him, energizing the otherwise monotonous midfield every time he steps on the pitch. A Barcelona trooper through and through, Puig will be looking to recapture his La Masia form to gain some valuable minutes this season. He will hope this will be the year he gets to properly kickstart his career with Barcelona.
#2 Dani Olmo | RB Leipzig
Having spent seven years contracted to La Masia, Dani Olmo made a shocking move to Dinamo Zagreb in 2014, aged just 16. A move that could've restricted his career to the obscurities of the Croatian top-flight turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Olmo's stellar performances in the national league won him the Best Player of Prva HNL in 2018. Another convincing year in the league, combined with a couple of consistent seasons in Europe, earned him a move to new German heavyweight RB Leipzig.
Signed up for an initial fee of €22m, the Spaniard currently boasts a career-high value of €50m. Olmo's productive debut season at the Red Bull Arena saw him contribute to 19 goals in all competitions. The 23-year-old creative midfielder was subsequently drafted into Luis Enrique's squad for Euro 2020. Olmo impressed once again by providing three assists in Spain's run to the semi-finals.
Interest from Real Madrid and his former club Barcelona poured in after the La Masia alumnus admitted he would like to move back to Spain in the future. Olmo has undeniable talent and his versatility would definitely benefit whichever team he chooses to sign for in the upcoming seasons.
#1 Ansu Fati | FC Barcelona
Ansu Fati was arguably the most obvious choice for first-place, given the list of his accolades at such a young age. In his maiden season with the Blaugrana, Fati managed to find the net seven times in a total of 24 league appearances. He also became Barcelona's youngest debutant as well as goal-scorer in La Liga.
He replicated this feat in the Champions League, coming on for Lionel Messi in a match against Dortmund aged just 16. 40 days after his 17th birthday, the La Masian became the youngest player to score in a UCL match, netting the winner against Inter Milan. Considering his generational potential and sizzling form, Barcelona spent no time in promoting the Guinean native to the first team.
Fati's four league goals ranked him as Barca's fourth top-scorer in the league in 2020-21, even though he played his last match in November 2020. After almost a year on the sidelines, the La Masia prodigy is set to return to the top stage before the commencement of the 2021-22 season. Fati has more than enough time to cash in on a promising start with the former Golden Boy nominee looking to revamp his career once again at the age of 18.
Also read: Ranking the 10 worst Barcelona transfers in the last decade
