"They are doing phenomenal" - Jordi Alba heaps praise on six Barcelona youngsters, tips them to have a great future

Barcelona defender Jordi Alba has showered praise on six of Blaugrana's young stars, namely Ansu Fati, Pedri, Pablo Gavi, Ferran Torres, Eric Garcia and Alejandro Balde.

Gavi and Pedri made headlines with their brilliant displays for Spain at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The duo formed a three-man partnership with Sergio Busquets in the center of the pitch and made it easy for La Roja to dominate opposition teams.

Torres and Garcia also impressed during the tournament. The former scored two goals in four appearances while the latter justified his call-up with a series of eye-catching performances in the heart of the defense.

Balde also got the chance to travel to Qatar following a late call-up. The defender made three appearances for Luis Enrique's side, amassing a total of 125 minutes of playing time.

Fati, however, was unable to play a major role in the competition amid cautionary measures following his return from a long-term injury.

Veteran left-back Alba is impressed with how the six players have progressed rapidly over the last couple of months and has tipped them to have a great future.

“Ansu, Pedri, Gavi, Ferran, Eric, and Balde are players with great potential. They are still very young, but at 17-18-19 years of age they are playing at the top level and they are doing phenomenal,” the 33-year-old was quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo.

“It’s true that they don’t need to be rushed, but they have a great future ahead of them, a spectacular one, and I’m sure they’re going to bring a lot of joy to Spanish football and to Barcelona,” he added.

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Jordi Alba hoping to enjoy a good year with Barcelona in 2023

Jordi Alba is currently facing stern competition from Alex Balde for the left-back spot at Barca.

After enduring a difficult start to the season amid limited involvement, Jordi Alba has explained that he hopes to enjoy a great year with Barcelona in 2023. He also revealed that he's looking forward to winning titles with the Catalan giants.

“On an individual level, I hope to have a good year, knowing how difficult it is to be at 100 percent in every game. On a collective level, to win titles for Barcelona and to do it in the best possible way. For 2023, I hope to win many titles with Barcelona and to be able to give joy to the fans,” he said.

Barca will return to La Liga action on Saturday (December 31) with a derby clash against Espanyol at Camp Nou.