The elite situation of the youth academy of FC Barcelona is one envied by many others. For different teams at a high European standard, the same levels of success have not been derived from their academy. For Barcelona, however, their academy has arguably always been their most helpful asset.
The eruption of Lamine Yamal, for instance, is just the most recent iteration of La Masia’s brightest graduates. Barcelona takes pride in the youth that they develop, and they often return the favor on the biggest of stages. On the other hand, their biggest rivals arguably lack a lot in that specific department.
Within Real Madrid, La Fabrica is their answer to La Masia. Far away from producing the same quality at the same rate that Barcelona does, La Fabrica has still seen some great players emerge. However, one elite talent continues to face problems as his progression seems to have come to a stop.
According to SPORT, Real Madrid wonderkid Paulo Iago is currently rethinking his future at the club. Labeled as a midfielder of great quality, he is likened a lot to Barcelona gem Lamine Yamal and is even referred to at times as the Lamine Yamal of Real Madrid. However, unlike his counterpart, his eruption is far away from taking place as of right now.
Having signed a contract extension until 2025 with Los Blancos, he has not seen himself get the opportunities that he ideally would have liked. Still playing in the Juvenil A side, he is far away from becoming a regular with the B team, much less getting opportunities with the first team of Real Madrid.
That is why, coupled with the fact that his agent just so happens to be Jorge Mendes, there are some new rumors surrounding his future. One possibility remains that he could end up potentially joining Barcelona, a club where youth of his quality is given a lot more room to show off their unique abilities.
However, Barcelona would not be the only team that could be a possible destination for him. Others from the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga also seem to have inquired about him. At the moment, there is an active release clause of €13 million for the young midfield pearl.
Last season, while playing for Cadet B, Iago truly shined. Scoring 12 times and assisting his teammates on 11 occasions in just 20 appearances, he completely showcased why he belongs in a higher tier of football. However, the links with Barcelona could ultimately be an unlikely possibility, but it is one that is quite the exciting prospect.
