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Barcelona B is the reserve team of FC Barcelona and currently plays in Segunda Division B. It is being managed by Xavi Garcia Pimienta and occupies the play-off spots at the time of writing. The main aim of the reserve team has never been of gaining promotion or securing big sponsorship deals but rather help the La Masia youngsters integrate into the first team.
The Barcelona B team has a playing style similar to the first team, hence, easing the process of adaptation and helping the youngsters integrate into the first team easily and efficiently. Recently a lot of reserve team players have failed to establish themselves as first-team regulars with Sergi Roberto being the exception. But things have started to change and under Valverde nine Barcelona B players have debuted for the first team with Carles Alena even getting promoted to the 1st team halfway through the season.
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Many of the first team players have been put on sale by the club and with Copa America and various other such tournaments being held in the summer, the core of the team won't be available for the pre-season tour and hence, provides a chance for the youngsters to impress the coach. If the players utilize the minutes provided to them by the coach during the pre-season efficiently, they could become a part of the 1st team and might even get promoted like Alena halfway through the next season. Hence we look at 5 Barcelona B players likely to be a part of the first team next season.
#5 Moussa Wague
Moussa Wague is a Senegalese footballer who plays at right back. In August 2018, Wague joined Barcelona, for a fee of €5 million. In the summer, he became the youngest African to score in the World Cup, in Senegal’s game against Japan. Wague is described as a player who is very agile and has a tendency to attack at every opportunity.
He made his senior debut against Girona in Catalan Super Cup and official debut against Huesca in La Liga. Wague has featured for Barcelona B 20 times this season and has scored 3 goals and provided 2 more assists. He has made 1.2 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game while also making a clearance per game. This shows that he is not lazy in his defensive duties and has the mentality to become a Barcelona player.
If he continues like this, he would not only make it to the first team but also force the club to sell Roberto or Semedo in a few years time to make place for him in the first team.
#4 Oriol Busquets
He may have no relation to Sergio, but the two players definitely share similar characteristics. Like the older Busquets, Oriol is a central midfielder who is tall and known for his great tactical understanding of the game. The 19-year-old currently plays at Barca B but made his debut for the first team in the Copa Del Rey against Murcia last season.
One of his most important traits is his ability to orchestrate games by dropping deep. On average, Oriol sends 9.14 passes into the final third with an astonishing accuracy of 86.9%. Usually, his overall passing accuracy is just under 90%. But with De Jong arriving next summer and the competition too high for midfield places, Busquets has requested for a transfer to the Barcelona Board, according to local reports, to gain more game time at a higher level.
Still, with a lot of players not being available at the start of the season, there are chances that Oriol can still make it through and should make it through to the first team next season.
#3 Carles Perez
Carles Pérez came to the U16B side of Barcelona from Espanyol along with Marc Cucurella in 2012. Perez is an electric winger who is excellent in one on one situations and has pace and strength. The 21-year-old made his debut for the first team against Eibar in the last Liga game of the season.
Perez is known for his off the ball movements and likes to cut inside on his stronger foot. This season he has been involved in 13 goals with 9 goals and 4 assists for the reserve side. The player still lacks a physical side to his game which he needs to work on a lot.
Coutinho is likely to be offloaded by Barcelona, Malcolm is not being favored by Valverde, Dembele is suffering from constant injury problems and Messi is now playing as more of a no. 10, Barcelona clearly lacks depth in the wing area and Perez, if he manages to impress the manager could become a part of the first team next season.
#2 Abel Ruiz
Abel Ruiz has been with FC Barcelona since 2012 after joining from Valencia CF. Young Ruiz has wracked up the accolades to prove his extraordinary talent and has become a proficient forward for FC Barcelona. He is also one of the 2 players born in the 2000s to make an appearance for the first team along with Juan Miranda.
The Spaniard’s ability to link up with the midfield is his strongest trait. Along with his intelligent movement off-the-ball and silky one-touch passing ability, the striker is as much of a physical presence as he is a nimble-footed creator who is able to hold up the ball.
Abel's injuries meant his progress has slowed down but with Suarez getting old and not a lot of strikers available in the market for a low price, he is sure to get a chance next season.
#1 Riqui Puig
People have been talking about Puig as one of the great hopes from La Masia and he excited supporters with some promising signs in the pre-season. He makes everyone "awe" the moment he steps on to the field with his game. That assist in his debut game for FC Barcelona or his pass to Dembele against Huesca are enough to give you goosebumps.
Despite having a child's face, Puig's intelligence on the pitch is as if he were a first-team player and it is noticeable how every time he controls the ball, he orientates himself to perfection as he observes what is going on around him.
The creative midfielder, who is similar in many traits to former captain Andres Iniesta, struggles sometimes with the grim physicality of the Segunda B, but it is all part of a formative experience which will serve him well when he makes the leap up.
Of all the players mentioned in the list, Puig is probably the one who will surely become a starter at the club in the near future. With De Jong arriving in summer and Arthur having established himself as a starter, Barcelona might finally get a trio who would dominate in the middle of the park for the club for the next decade or so for sure.
