Barcelona 20-year-old academy prospect facing an uncertain future | OneFootball

Brian Farinas remains one of the biggest enigmas at Barcelona.

According to SPORT, despite being one of the standout performers for Barça Atletic and the most trusted player under Juliano Belletti, the midfielder does not appear to be in the first-team plans, leaving his long-term future at the club increasingly unclear.

The 20-year-old is under contract until 2028 and has established himself as a key figure for the reserve side.

But his path towards Hansi Flick’s squad remains uncertain, much to the frustration of Belletti, who would like to keep the midfielder at the club.

Belletti’s trusted lieutenant

Belletti’s renewal as Barça Atletic manager was never really in doubt. The club are pleased with his work, particularly his role in helping players such as Jofre Torrents, Xavi Espart and Tommy Marques move closer to the first team.

Belletti rates Farinas very highly. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Farinas was expected to be among that group, but that is not how things have gone.

He was Belletti’s most-used player last season, leading the squad both in appearances and minutes played. He featured in 33 matches, accumulated 2,799 minutes, scored five goals and provided seven assists.

More importantly, he demonstrated leadership, personality and the ability to dictate games from midfield, becoming indispensable to his manager.

For the partnership between Belletti and Farinas to continue, the player would ideally need to feel that Barcelona have genuine plans for him beyond the reserves. At the very least, he would like the chance to prove himself with the first team.

However, despite the expected presence of numerous academy players during pre-season, the 20-year-old is not currently expected to be included in Hansi Flick’s preparations. That situation is difficult to understand given his importance to Barça Atletic.

Clubs monitoring his situation

Farinas’ performances have not gone unnoticed. Several clubs are closely following the midfielder’s situation, attracted by his youth, technical quality and years of development at La Masia.

One of the most interested sides is Racing Santander, who are preparing for their return to La Liga and view him as a player with the quality to strengthen their squad. Other clubs are also keeping a close eye on developments.

For now, Belletti would love to continue building his team around one of his favourite players. Whether Barcelona share that vision remains the biggest question surrounding Farinas.