Barcelona looking to switch La Masia focus in the near future

La Masia have produced some of the best players in world football over the years. Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andreas Iniesta all graduated from Barcelona’s youth academy to have exceptional careers in Catalonia.

In recent seasons, Gavi has emerged and made their mark on the first team, but very little others have made an impact. Along with Sergio Busquets and Sergi Roberto, who are all midfielders, they are flying the flag for La Masia in Xavi’s squad.

With a lack of forward players having made the step up to the first team in recent season, Barcelona officials are switching their focus towards doing this in the near future. Angel Alarcon and more recently Estanis Pedrola have been called up by Xavi, but the club want to incorporate more promising young forwards, as per Sport.

Lamine Yamal is one of the players expected to benefit from this, as the 15-year-old is considered to be one of the best prospects in the youth system. Victor Barbera and Ilias Akhomach may also see first team minutes over the next couple of seasons, although they both could be set to leave this summer.

Change appears to be afoot at La Masia, as Barcelona officials appear to be unhappy with the setup in recent years. The academy’s youth director, Alexanco, is under pressure and could be set to leave his role this summer.