Barcelona agree new long-term deal with academy starlet after impressive start to the season: Romano | OneFootball

Barcelona spent the summer bringing in new players to reinforce the squad at Hansi Flick’s disposal, and the effects have been visible.

The Catalan club have enjoyed a perfect start to the season, winning all eight games they have played so far and looking unstoppable at times.

New signings like Rodri, Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Joao Cancelo have all settled in brilliantly at the Catalan club.

Since the summer window shut, Deco has shifted his focus towards renewing the contracts of players who are emerging as key parts of the project.

He revealed yesterday that the club had reached agreements with Marc Bernal, Xavi Espart and Raphinha over new long-term deals.

Barcelona reward Espart’s rapid rise

Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, Espart has agreed a new Barcelona contract running until June 2030.

The new terms will now include a higher salary and a long-term commitment, reflecting his increasing prominence in the first-team scheme of things.

Xavi Espart has been a revelation in the first-team this season. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Still only 19, the La Masia graduate has already demonstrated the versatility that makes him particularly valuable.

He can operate at right-back, in midfield and elsewhere when required, giving Flick another flexible option within a young squad.

He started the season as Barça’s left-back and looked at home in a position that he had hardly played in during his career.

More importantly, Espart has not looked like a youngster simply being given minutes for development. He has very much looked the part.

Flick has another La Masia talent to develop

For Barcelona, Espart’s renewal carries significance beyond one player.

The club’s financial reality has made the academy more important than ever in recent years, but La Masia is not simply a cost-saving mechanism.

Players such as Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi have demonstrated what can happen when exceptional young talent is trusted early enough.

Espart still has a long way to go before reaching that level, and his promising start should not create unreasonable expectations.

Espart has the potential to reach the level of Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

That said, with what he has shown so far, there is absolutely no doubt that he has the level required to reach such heights.

Barcelona move quickly to secure future

A contract until 2030 gives Barcelona security while allowing Espart to continue developing without uncertainty surrounding his immediate future.

The next challenge is ensuring that his incredible start to first-team football under Hansi Flick is not merely a flash in the pan.

La Masia has repeatedly produced at least one incredible talent every season for the past few years, and Xavi seems the latest in line.

Barça have done well to secure Espart’s future, and it remains to be seen how he develops in the coming seasons.