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Barcelona have been busy trying to rejuvenate their squad in recent months, and boss Ronald Koeman seems pretty happy with the youngsters he is working with at the Camp Nou.
The Catalan giants moved on veterans Ivan Rakitic, Arturo Vidal, and Luis Suarez in the summer and brought in young talents Francisco Trincao from Braga and Pedri from Las Palmas.
A number of starlets have also been promoted from Barcelona B, and Koeman has spoken to NOS about the young players at his disposal.
“Ansu Fati plays, [and] he is 17 years old. We have 17-year-old Pedri who has his opportunities. Ronald Araujo is here at 21. [Francisco] Trincao appears a lot and is 20 years old, and we have signed Sergiño Dest [who is] 19. Those are all players for the future.”
Barcelona’s transfer dealings mean they have reduced the average age of their squad from 26.52 years to 25.50, according to David Salinas at Sport. The oldest player in the current Barcelona squad is now 33-year-old central defender Gerard Pique.
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Ansu Plays Starring Role
There’s no doubt that 17-year-old striker Fati has been the star of the show so far for Barcelona in 2020-21. The teenager has three goals in three games for the Catalan giants, and his early-season performances have not gone unnoticed.
The international break means Fati is currently away on Spain duty, and boss Luis Enrique has urged called for patience when it comes to the record-breaking Barcelona youngster.
“Ansu Fati needs patience, tranquility and a calm climate that we will try to give him. To keep playing for the national team you need to keep running in defense. We would do him a disservice if we wanted him to solve each game for us. He’s still a teenager.”
Fati’s goals appear to have cemented his place in Koeman’s starting XI for now, while Trincao and Pedri have both featured in all three games as substitutes.
Aruajo & Dest Boost Barca Backline
Yet it’s not just in attack where Barca youngsters are flourishing, the club also have impressive players ready to boost their backline.
Center-back Ronald Araujo is already making waves at the club. The Uruguay international replaced the suspended Clement Lenglet against Sevilla last time out and has come in for praise from Koeman in an interview with Barca TV.
“Araujo has a great future ahead of him. He is physically strong and pretty fast. He is a kid who wants to learn. He is always open to learning new things. He has things to improve, which is normal at his age.”
New signing Sergino Dest has also arrived from Ajax and will be eyeing Sergi Roberto’s place at right-back. The USMNT starlet has already made his Barca debut, as a substitute against Sevilla, and will be hoping his first start is not too far away.
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