18-year-old Barcelona defensive gem close to joining Serie A club in a ‘transfer plus loan’ deal – Report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have seen a golden generation emerge from La Masia and establish themselves as first-team regulars in recent seasons. This long list includes the likes of Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsi, and Lamine Yamal, among others.

However, the reality of having such a generation is slowly starting to dawn on the Catalan club. Talented youngsters coming through after this group are beginning to realise there is little chance of earning regular game time in the current set-up.

As a result, they are starting to look elsewhere. Already in January, Dro Fernandez and Mamadou Mbacke agreed to leave the club, with the former set to join French giants PSG, while the latter is closing in on a return to MLS.

Furthermore, another promising Barcelona gem, Andres Cuenca, is also very close to leaving the Catalan club. The 18-year-old centre back is nearing an agreement with Serie A side Como, coached by former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas.

Cuenca is out of contract at the end of June and, unless there is a last-minute change of plans, everything points towards a move to Italy being completed in the coming days.

According to SPORT, the plan from the Italian club is for Cuenca to be immediately loaned out so that he can continue his development with regular minutes.

Fabregas is a strong admirer of the defender and believes he fits the playing philosophy at Como, particularly due to his composure on the ball and ability to build play from the back. At the same time, the coach feels the young defender still needs experience at the senior level before competing regularly in Serie A.

Cuenca joined La Masia from Sevilla at the youth level and quickly made an impression. Fast, powerful, and technically gifted, he became a key figure in defence and formed an outstanding partnership with Pau Cubarsi in the youth teams. That pairing was widely regarded as one of the most exciting seen at the Joan Gamper Training Ground in recent years.

An international with Spain U-19, Cuenca had been viewed internally as a player with a strong future, but the current competition at centre back and the lack of a clear pathway to the first team have pushed him to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Barcelona are expected to receive little to no immediate transfer fee due to the player’s contract situation. However, the club has negotiated a percentage of any future sale, allowing them to retain a financial interest in Cuenca should he fulfil his potential away from Camp Nou.

Another promising talent looks set to depart, highlighting once again the difficult balance Barcelona face between developing elite youngsters and offering them a realistic route to the highest level.