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Barcelona's famed La Masia youth academy is a relentless production line of young talented players. La Masia was created by renovating an old Catalan farmhouse in 1979 and was initially used to house youth prospects from all over Spain.
Over time, La Masia began to work its magic and gave Barcelona some of football's best players and personalities. Pep Guardiola and his batchmates were some of the first players to make the cut in Barcelona's first team under Johan Cruyff.
Barcelona's La Masia produces some of the best talents in Spain
The likes of Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi, and Gerard Pique have emerged through the youth ranks at La Masia and staked their claim in Barcelona's first team. While several factors have combined to reduce the output of Barcelona's famous academy in the recent past, Ansu Fati from La Masia has broken into the first team and looks set to consolidate his place with the Blaugrana.
The young winger, however, is one of the lucky ones. The likes of Carles Perez, Oriol Busquets, and Carles Alena have been sent away from Barcelona on loan and look unlikely to make the first team.
Here, we take a look at some youngsters who have risen through La Masia's ranks and could well cement a place in Barcelona's first team in future.
#5 Jorge Cuenca
Jorge Cuenca has been touted as one of the most promising defensive prospects to emerge from La Masia's ranks in the recent past. The defender tends to assume a leading role and is able to organise the back-line. The La Masia youngster's vocal nature and tenacity make him the ideal choice in Barcelona's defence.
Central defenders at Barcelona require a very specific skill set to succeed and Jorge Cuenca seems to tick all boxes. The defender is blessed with excellent pace and his ball-playing abilities as a defender are exceptional.
#4 Alex Collado
Alex Collado is one of the most talented attacking players in Barcelona's youth setup at the moment. The 21-year-old Spaniard joined La Masia at only 10 years of age and is very familiar with Barcelona's philosophy and style of play. Collado can play as an attacking midfielder and a winger and is highly creative on the ball.
With Barcelona's midfield currently filled to the brim, Alex Collado will likely be employed on the left flank. The youngster can be considered an ideal La Masia winger and his understanding of the game makes him dangerous both on and off the ball. Collado made an appearance in Barcelona's defeat against Valencia earlier this season and was arguably one of the best players in his 20 minutes on the pitch.
#3 Ilaix Moriba
Many coaches in La Masia believe that it is only a matter of time before Ilaix Moriba makes waves in Barcelona's first team. At only 17 years of age, Moriba is the youngest player on this list. The youngster is primarily a central midfielder but his immense versatility and technical ability make him highly effective in both halves of the pitch.
At the moment, Ilaix Moriba has established himself in Barcelona's B team and will eventually make the step up to the first team. The La Masia graduate has also represented Spain at the under-17 level and is touted as one of Barcelona's brightest prospects.
#2 Monchu
Monchu has been one of the best captains Barcelona B has ever had for a while. The midfielder is the perfect combination of hard work and intelligence and deserves a place in the first team. The talented La Masia youngster is creative in midfield and is capable of scoring long-range screamers.
The young Spanish midfielder has attracted interest from the likes of Inter Milan and Barcelona must make an attempt to keep the talented La Masia youth product at the club. Till his unfortunate injury in the past week, Monchu was training with Quique Setien's first team and looks set to knocks on the doors of Barcelona's first team after his return.
#1 Riqui Puig
Riqui Puig is one of the most talented midfielders to come through La Masia in Barcelona's recent history. The La Masia prospect is arguably one of the only youth prospects with a legitimate claim to a permanent place in Barcelona's star-studded lineup.
The 20-year-old midfielder had a stellar pre-season with Barcelona but was used far too sparingly by Ernesto Valverde. Quique Setien seems to have placed more faith in the talented youngster.
Riqui Puig came on as a substitute in Quique Setien's first game in charge and played a crucial role in Lionel Messi's goal in the second half. Setien seems to be impressed with the La Masia youngster's abilities and has included him in all of Barcelona's training sessions.
Only time will tell whether the youngster can fill the gaping hole left by Xavi and Andres Iniesta and craft his own legacy at the club.
