Barca Universal
·9 luglio 2025
Barcelona’s 18-year-old starlet returns early to train ahead of pre-season

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Yahoo sportsBarca Universal
·9 luglio 2025
Recent pre-seasons have set the bar very high for La Masia, especially after the breakout of talents, including Fermin Lopez, Marc Bernal, and Marc Casado, among others.
With Barcelona set to return for pre-season on July 13, there is a certain sense of expectation that the manager will find a few new faces from the academy to feature as regulars in his plans once more.
In fact, he already has a list of players whom he plans to call up for the tour to Asia.
Despite the start of pre-season being a few days away, however, some players. including Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Joan Garcia. and others are already training at the club facilities.
SPORT now reveal that one of the new young faces – Ibrahim Diarra – has also returned early to get into match fitness before his big audition.
Diarra landed in Catalonia last Sunday and turned up at the Ciutat Esportiva on Wednesday as he looks to prove a point to Hansi Flick in the upcoming preseason campaign.
Pre-season starts this Sunday. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
It is, after all, a huge moment for the Malian international and the player was even seen training for a few days in France before travelling back to Spain.
Notably, the player barely took any days off as he even trained under the club’s physical trainers’ guidance in the opening phase of his vacation.
Still just 18 years of age, Diarra has a long way to go and is at the right age to prove a point and earn a place in Flick’s plans.
Diarra is a right interior midfielder by trade, but can also play as a forward based on the need. He is well known for his verticality, ability to find spaces and create threats between the lines and is thus a valuable attacking outlet.
With Olmo and Fermin playing similar roles and Raphinha also likely to move into a more central role, however, Diarra must look to play out of his skin to earn a place in the first team.