Barcelona set to reward 19-year-old academy gem with first-team role and new number | OneFootball

Several players at FC Barcelona saw the preseason as their opportunity to impress Hansi Flick. Most of these players were young academy talents who knew better than anyone that this kind of chance would only come by once, and they had to make the most out of it.

One player in particular who stood out for his performances and dedication to Flick’s orders was Xavi Espart. Aged just 19, the youngster managed to showcase his incredible versatility and technical ability throughout the team’s preseason.

Even recently, in the game against Elche, Espart had no excuses even though he was forced to play as a left-back due to certain complications at the club involving other players who normally play in that position. Ultimately, he ended up delivering quite a solid performance.

As a result of this progression and his incredible displays so far, the club seems to be interested in rewarding him as well. According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona will be permanently integrating the youngster into the first team’s dynamics and he will be given a new shirt number as well.

Instead of wearing an academy jersey number, the youngster will now be representing Barça wearing the number 12. Morever, MD claims that the Catalan giants will be looking to improve his current contract as well once the summer transfer window concludes.

Those improvements will likely reflect his position within the team and a raise in his salary as well accordingly. However, there is still some time before the club moves forward with that idea, and Espart remains fully determined to help Barcelona in the present first.

Up next for La Blaugrana is a home game in La Liga against Athletic Club, and Hansi Flick’s team will need to be at their best to ensure that they get all three points from it. Fortunately, Espart will offer the Barcelona coach with a lot of options thanks to his versatility, and Flick could make use of him to fill up any kind of gaps in the team.