A press report on Sunday revealed a major development in La Liga that confirms the outstanding quality of Barcelona’s youth ranks.
Barcelona sit top of La Liga, five points clear of Atletico Madrid, having reeled off seven straight wins and made a historic start in front of goal.
Credit that to Hansi Flick’s work on the training ground and to the commitment of every player in his squad.
The newspaper “Mundo Deportivo” says playing for Barcelona is no easy matter. Not every player can thrive in the Blaugrana ranks, as this summer laid bare with the departure of so many academy graduates.
Leaving the Camp Nou hands other teams the chance to snap up talent, and La Liga is seeing a notable rise in signings of players who once wore the Barcelona shirt, whether from the youth teams or the first team.
All told, 35 players who have pulled on the Barcelona shirt now turn out for other clubs. Only Racing Santander and Elche count none among their ranks.
Deportivo de La Coruna
Includes: Aubameyang, Casado, Adama, Adria Altimira, Arnau Comas and Luismi Cruz.
Deportivo top the list in La Liga, with six players who have previously worn the Barcelona shirt.
Casado is on loan until the end of the season, while Aubameyang and Adama Traore arrived this summer.
Adria Altimira and Arnau Comas spent several years in the youth ranks, while Luismi Cruz played the 2022/23 season on loan at Barcelona Atletic.
Real Betis
Includes: Bartra, Bellerin, Abde Ezzalzouli and Junior.
Real Betis have four former Barcelona players. Interestingly, all of them featured for the first team at some point, but their paths diverged completely.
Bartra came through the youth ranks and stepped straight up to the first team. Bellerin left as a youngster then returned as a professional, Abde joined Athletic Bilbao before earning promotion to the first team, and Junior arrived at the first team in 2019.
Celta Vigo
Includes: Ilaix, Gutgla, Marcos Alonso and Alvaro Nunez
Celta Vigo are the other La Liga club with four former Barcelona players on their books.
Ilaix Moriba climbed through the academy and reached the first team under Koeman. Gutgla spent a year between the reserves and the first team, Marcos Alonso played between 2022 and 2024, and Alvaro Nunez turned out on loan at Barcelona Atletic in 2023/24.
Rayo Vallecano
Includes: Balliu, Pelayo and Dani Cardenas
Rayo Vallecano boast three graduates of Barcelona’s academy.
The spells of Ivan Balliu and Pelayo Fernandez there stick longest in the memory, since both reached the reserves. Goalkeeper Dani Cardenas was there from a young age before moving to Gaback in 2008.
Valencia
Includes: Iker Cordoba, Arnau Martinez and Sergi Canos
Valencia are the other La Liga side with three former Barcelona academy players. They are Iker Cordoba, who reached youth team level, Arnau Martinez, who stayed in the academy until 2016, and Sergi Canos, who moved to Liverpool once his time as a youngster came to an end.
Real Sociedad
Includes: Hector Fort and Kubo
Real Sociedad signed full-back Hector Fort this summer, adding to Japan international Take Kubo, one of the academy graduates forced to leave La Masia in 2015 because of a FIFA ban.
Deportivo Alaves
Includes: Alena and Denis Suarez
Deportivo Alaves also carry former Barcelona players, namely Carles Alena and Denis Suarez.
Alena rose through the youth ranks all the way to the first team. Suarez joined the reserves from Manchester City but never got enough minutes with the first team.
Espanyol
Includes: Puado and Roberto
Espanyol are the third team to feature former Barcelona players. Captain Javi Puado played for Barcelona at youth level, while striker Roberto, recently called up to the Spanish national team, spent a year on loan from Malaga at Barcelona Atletic.
Real Madrid
Real Madrid have one player with a Barcelona past this season: Marc Cucurella.
The left-back spent several years in Barcelona’s youth ranks, but never officially appeared for the first team.
Atletico Madrid
Grimaldo, then a left-back, became the youngest player to make his debut for the reserve team in the second division, at just 15 years and 349 days old. He moved to Benfica in January 2016.
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao have one too. Robert Navarro joined from Osasuna in 2013 and spent five years wearing the Barcelona shirt, until Monaco convinced him to leave.
Villarreal
Ilias Akhomach, the only Villarreal player who previously turned out for Barcelona, made his debut with the first team.
After two spells and more than a decade in the academy, the winger got his bow under Xavi, then joined the “Yellow Submarine” on a free transfer in 2023.
Sevilla
Peque Fernandez plays at Sevilla after two spells in the youth categories. In 2022 he moved to Racing on the back of standout performances for Barcelona Atletic.
Osasuna
Raul Moro, now at Osasuna, hardly shone during his Barcelona spell. He featured for the youth team in 2018/19 before joining Lazio.
Levante
Oriol Rey, the Levante midfielder, has a longer Barcelona history. He worked through nearly every youth category at the club and reached the first youth team in 2017, at which point he left to join the Leeds United reserves.
Malaga
Adam Aznou, the left-back who lives in Rocafonda and counts Lamine Yamal as a close friend, plays for Malaga on loan from Everton. He spent three years in Barcelona’s academy before his move to Bayern Munich in 2022.
Getafe
Kiko Femenia never got his first-team debut. He joined Barcelona Atletic in 2011 as a hugely promising talent and made the squad in the Champions League under Guardiola, but he left two years later for Real Madrid Castilla without leaving any real mark.
