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La Masia is responsible for producing some of the greatest players in Barcelona's history, including the greatest of them all - Lionel Messi.
The club's academy has played a pivotal role in Barcelona's history. The successes enjoyed by the Blaugrana since the turn of the century would not have been possible without La Masia.
The famed 'class of 1987' including Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and Pedro is perhaps the most illustrious set. However, multiple other world-class players have also passed through the walls of La Masia and gone on to achieve greatness with Barcelona and beyond.
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There has been a paucity of promotions from the academy to the senior team in recent years, but that is not a smudge on the academy's reputation. A number of factors are responsible for this change, including the fact that the current graduates are almost impossible to displace from the senior team.
That said, there is still an abundance of talent in La Masia, as evidenced by the fact that of six UEFA Youth League tournaments played so far, Barcelona's youth side have won two titles while also making it to the semifinal on two other occasions.
Barcelona's recently concluded pre-season tour gave ample opportunities to see some La Masia stars in action. The exhibition nature of the campaign meant that there was not too much riding on the results, with more emphasis placed on player performance and adaptability to tactical demands.
While a couple of La Masia players were auditioned, Ernesto Valverde would have been most impressed with the performance of these three in particular.
#3 Alex Collado
Alex Collado is a 20-year-old Spanish Under-19 international, primarily deployed as an attacking midfielder.
Having spent three seasons on the books of city rivals Espanyol, Collado joined the Barcelona youth group in 2009. He rose through the ranks, culminating with his debut for the senior side in a 2-0 defeat to Celta Vigo in May 2019.
Collado is highly regarded at Barcelona, and there are strong indications that the club is weighing up the option of promoting him to the senior team. He did his chances of promotion a world of good with his displays in pre-season.
The Sabadell native made an appearance in each of Barcelona's first three matches, starting from the onset against Chelsea and Vissel Kobe, while coming off the bench with 11 minutes to go against Arsenal.
The left footer also showed his versatility, as he was deployed in multiple positions by Valverde. He played as a left winger against Chelsea, while dropping back into midfield against Vissel Kobe.
#2 Carles Perez
Carles Perez is a 21-year-old winger who has been with the Barcelona academy since arriving from Espanyol in 2012.
He was promoted to Barcelona's B team in July 2017 and has done very well since then. He has made 54 appearances across the Segunda and Segunda B Divisions, scoring 12 goals and helping his side to the 2017-18 UEFA Youth League title.
Perez made his senior debut when he came on as a substitute for Malcom in the 73rd minute of the ultimate LaLiga game of last season; a 2-2 draw with Eibar.
He was included in Barcelona's squad to travel to Japan, and was introduced from the bench in both matches against Chelsea and Vissel Kobe. Perez shone like a million stars in the latter, scoring two quickfire goals against Andres Iniesta's club to hand Barcelona a 2-0 victory.
His form against the J-League side saw him rewarded with two subsequent starts against Arsenal and Napoli. Having stated that his dream is to break into the Barcelona first team, Perez would have definitely left a good impression on Valverde.
#1 Riqui Puig
Of all the La Masia players who were tried during Barcelona's pre-season tour, none impressed as much as youngster Riqui Puig.
The 19-year-old (he turns 20 in a day) started in the first four of Barcelona's five pre-season fixtures. He played in his preferred midfield role in three of those, while being deployed as a second striker in the game against Vissel Kobe.
Despite playing alongside established stalwarts in the middle like Ivan Rakitic and Sergio Busquets, Puig was largely unfazed. He went about his business in a professional manner that belied his young age.
Having been blooded in La Masia over the last six years, it comes as no surprise that the Matadepara native is blessed with composure on the ball. His pass distribution, though not quite the finished material, has the potential to rival those of the legendary Barcelona midfielders.
Puig was instrumental in Barcelona's 2-1 first leg victory over Napoli in the LaLiga-Serie A Cup, laying on the assist for midfield partner Busquets to open the scoring.
He saw his 'dream come true' last season when he starred for the senior side in their 4-1 home victory over Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey. He made his LaLiga bow in the 0-0 draw with Huesca in April 2019.
On the evidence of the faith placed in him by Valverde during pre-season, Puig could be set to break into the senior team in the coming campaign.
