19-year-old defensive prodigy closes 2023 with Barcelona first team – report

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Photo by Omar Vega/Getty Images

It is undoubtable that Barcelona continues to give opportunities to its talented youngsters. The Catalan club is among the renowned group of footballing entities that places an extraordinary emphasis on developing youth talent. However, not everyone within Barcelona has entrance to the same level of access.

There are divisions within Barcelona for this exact reason. Players can be just below the brink of the first team playing with Barcelona Atletic instead. However, the ultimate dream for these players always remains the first team. Fortunately, several players do get that chance.

One such player is the talented Senegalese defender, Mikayil Faye. While the 19-year-old did not get to train with the Barcelona first team in their open-door training, he was present in the latest one, as has been confirmed by SPORT.

His inclusion, alongside only a handful of his peers, showcases just how much Barcelona values him. Despite his young age, he is already a defensive juggernaut. His physical superiority over his opponents is even more perplexing given the control he has on his technical abilities.

Faye, consequently, closes his 2023 as being one of the participants in the first team training. He was joined by the likes of Pau Prim and Mamadou Mbacke. The training also called upon the services of Ander Astralaga, Pau Cubarsi, and Hector Fort. Marc Guiu, for now, remains in the dynamics of Juvenil A.

With a game against UD Las Palmas fast approaching for Xavi’s men, Faye will be among the few hopefuls aiming to make an appearance. Inigo Martinez remains sidelined for now, and so does Marcos Alonso. This grants the youngsters a chance to find their own inclusion.

However, it seems that Pau Cubarsi could get the chance ahead of Faye. Yet, then again, nothing is decided as of just yet. Xavi’s final decision will ultimately mark who gets to have a shot at featuring against UD Las Palmas on the 4th of January.

Raafay Humayun
Raafay Humayun
Raafay Humayun is a life-long fan of FC Barcelona and an avid enjoyer of all things Blaugrana. Having fallen in love with the club for the way they defined football for him, he now spends his time watching games, analyzing the happenings in them, and digesting any and everything related to his beloved Catalan club. He also writes as an author for Barca News Network hoping to deliver the latest updates to his fellow ‘culés’.

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