Eric Garcia to Barcelona

[willipp]

Kids of that quality come around once or twice in a lifetime.

It's taken decades for our academy to produce a quality first team player , since the 80s and the Paul Lake and Co era.

We will be incredibly lucky if we ever get that kind of once in a lifetime crop of players. Thats why people who bang on about certain clubs being promoters of youth are usually talking absolute bollocks.

 

[p.taker]

24 months

That seems to be in dispute now. Only real source seems to be the transfrmarkt website.

 

[decmancity]

The more I think about it, the more I can see a deal being struck. Id be comfortable with Laporte, Ake, Koulibailiy and THB or Tosin. Garcia has a lot of talent but I can't help think hes only playing because there is no one else. If Ake and Koulibaily arrive then he isn't going to play very much.

 

[Gabriel]

Not seen HB play but if any of the others mentioned above and on current form Stones or Otto play more than a handful of games next season there will be no league title. Although still raw Garcia is streets ahead of the rest and personally I would much rather keep him for a season and let him run down his contract then sell him now for peanuts and depend on one of others mentioned.

If you look at the post I put up earlier with the league minutes played, then you can see that Fernandinho easily accrued the most. I would now expect Koulibaly to take most of those, Laporte to take some of those played by Stones/Otamendi, and Ake to take the rest. That then leaves Fernandinho to take some and A.N.Other. Garcia is way ahead of minutes played in comparison with Foden last year.

Since football returned, Garcia has been hot-housed by the club. You could argue that there has been a bit of carrot and stick in that approach. Carrot for the player, as it showed that we were serious in keeping him and wanting him to sign a new contract; stick for Barcelona, as it showed them that we will be serious in demanding substantial money for him if they want him this summer. However, those running the club are pragmatic and know that if he doesn't sign now, we'd be better to take the peanuts, though, hopefully, they'll be artisianal with exotic flavour profiles.

I like him as a player and think his ceiling might be higher than the other three young players I mentioned, but if his heart isn't with us, then goodbye and bring on the next.

 

[Gabriel]

That seems to be in dispute now. Only real source seems to be the transfrmarkt website.

When I went digging earlier, I noticed that Goal and some other sites were claiming two years, probably sourced from Transfermarkt, but in the MEN article link I posted above, Guardiola does say it is one year.

 

[LongsightM13]

That seems to be in dispute now. Only real source seems to be the transfrmarkt website.

Tolmie posted on here that he got a pay rise and a 12 month extension

 

[FCBarca]

Out of curiosity, who were the last youth players to have a big career in the barcelona first team? Just can't really think of many for a long time.

It's been a decade since a La Masia player was promoted & fully integrated into the 1st team (S.Roberto) - a few have been promoted (Munir, Sandro etc.) and ultimately many have been used as commodities (Thiago, Rafinha, Adama, Deulofeu, Cucurella, Perez) rather than integrated fully. Some failed to succeed either due to injuries (Cuenca & Samper), lack of sufficient quality (Fontas, Bartra, Miranda, Tello, Montoya, Dos Santos, Lee Seung Woo) or simply poor development or integration (Olmo, Grimaldo, Dongou). Several were released as result of the FIFA ban (Kubo, Onana, Paik, Adekanye, Theo Chendri, Kais)

Overall - I would say the biggest talents that should've been integrating into the 1st team since 2010 should've been: Olmo, Grimaldo, Thiago, Kubo, Cucu, Onana, Chendri

The fact is only Ansu is being promoted at the moment with Puig also likely. Collado could be but predicated on what happens in the transfer market and whether another Catalan cantera product is counted on in Alena. Monchu is a gem who will likely come to the Premiership if he is not given a shot in the 1st team

Moriba, Konrad and Busquets are B team players with a big future likely ahead of them as well

 

[willipp]

It's been a decade since a La Masia player was promoted & fully integrated into the 1st team (S.Roberto) - a few have been promoted (Munir, Sandro etc.) and ultimately many have been used as commodities (Thiago, Rafinha, Adama, Deulofeu, Cucurella, Perez) rather than integrated fully. Some failed to succeed either due to injuries (Cuenca & Samper), lack of sufficient quality (Fontas, Bartra, Miranda, Tello, Montoya, Dos Santos, Lee Seung Woo) or simply poor development or integration (Olmo, Grimaldo, Dongou). Several were released as result of the FIFA ban (Kubo, Onana, Paik, Adekanye, Theo Chendri, Kais)

Overall - I would say the biggest talents that should've been integrating into the 1st team since 2010 should've been: Olmo, Grimaldo, Thiago, Kubo, Cucu, Onana, Chendri

The fact is only Ansu is being promoted at the moment with Puig also likely. Collado could be but predicated on what happens in the transfer market and whether another Catalan cantera product is counted on in Alena. Monchu is a gem who will likely come to the Premiership if he is not given a shot in the 1st team

Moriba, Konrad and Busquets are B team players with a big future likely ahead of them as well

Just goes to show what a freak production having Messi, xavi, iniesta etc come through in one era was. Doubt we will ever see that again.

 

[FCBarca]

Just goes to show what a freak production having Messi, xavi, iniesta etc come through in one era was. Doubt we will ever see that again.

We'll never see a player like Messi again. Xavi or Iniesta, we might - Puig, for me, is our future #6. Pedri is not a cantera player but I see the closest thing to Iniesta

 

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

The more I think about it, the more I can see a deal being struck. Id be comfortable with Laporte, Ake, Koulibailiy and THB or Tosin. Garcia has a lot of talent but I can't help think hes only playing because there is no one else. If Ake and Koulibaily arrive then he isn't going to play very much.

Agree with this. But they way I would play it as I would want 4 top CBs to compete for 2 slots. So I would be saying to Garcia we want you to be one of those 4.

I doubt they go in to names / plans in massive detail with the players but the reality would be alongside Laporte as first choice and 2 others and there may be a bit of shuffling to get 4 you want. But the key is he gets the chance to be one of 4 and if that is not a good enough offer then take the money and go and buy Ake.