17-year-old La Masia starlet is developing into a prolific goalscorer since his position change; one to watch out for – Report | OneFootball

La Masia may have another name FC Barcelona fans should start keeping close tabs on. Genis Clua, still only 17, is emerging as one of the more interesting attacking stories in the academy after a positional adjustment that has brought out a much sharper eye for goal.

According to SPORT, Clua’s recent development has been closely tied to a change in role. The report says the youngster has become far more prolific since being moved into a new position, with that tactical switch helping unlock a side of his game that was not being seen as clearly before. An increase in height has seen him tried out as a striker, which is working wonders.

That is always the kind of detail Barca supporters notice. At academy level, talent alone is rarely the whole story. Sometimes the key is simply finding the role that best matches a player’s instincts, and it sounds like that is exactly what is happening here with Clua.

From a Barcelona perspective, this matters because goalscorers from deeper development levels are always worth tracking, especially when they are not just poachers by nature but players whose growth suggests there may be more to come. A positional change that suddenly sharpens end product usually points to a player learning how to read spaces differently and arrive in better areas.

When a young La Masia player starts being described as one to watch, it usually means his progress has gone beyond a small purple patch and into something more noticeable inside the club’s structure. That does not mean Barcelona fans should rush to place first-team expectations on him already.

At 17, the path is still long, and academy football can change quickly. But these are exactly the kinds of early signs worth following, especially at a club that still wants internal development to matter. Clua is still playing for Juvenil B.

La Masia doesn’t always produce strikers of a high level and if there is someone, even in the lower ranks, who is showing signs of being a late bloom in that position, it’s worth keeping an eye out. If not for anything, it at least makes for a nice story.

There is no better example than Fermin Lopez for everyone to know that not everyone needs to be a child prodigy to make it into the first team. Thus, it remains to be seen how Clua fares in the upcoming years and if he makes his way up as a striker through the ranks.

If the goals don’t desert him, he could be one to look out for in the future.