Barcelona find new quarry hero worth keeping an eye on

BARCELONA, SPAIN - OCTOBER 22: Marc Guiu of FC Barcelona is congratulated by Unai Hernandez after the team's victory in the LaLiga EA Sports match between FC Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on October 22, 2023 in Barcelona, Spain.

Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images

New names continue to appear and make their mark within the FC Barcelona subsidiary. A place for young talents to grow and prosper, it is not exactly surprising to see these developments. However, their current progression within Barcelona; is surprising even by the club’s grand standards.

Known formerly for their excellent midfield talents, it seems that the Barcelona quarry is now also evolving in terms of other positions. Recently, their forwards have been rather exceptional, and the latest ‘crack’ to showcase his brilliance is no different to his peers.

As highlighted by SPORT, the latest victory for Barcelona Atletic came through the partnership of a certain midfielder and another promising forward named Unai Hernandez.

The young forward’s lone goal in question near the 80th-minute mark gave life to the Catalan giants’s subsidiary side against a formidable Sabadell side.

This victory, in turn, keeps La Blaugrana close to the play-off spots. With Rafa Marquez’s team hoping to make their way to the Segunda Division, these play-off spots are vital to their goals and aspirations.

Now three points closer to Celta Vigo, Barcelona know that their sixth-place minimum requirements are not too far away.

The goal itself may have been scored by Hernandez, but it was made almost entirely by the midfielder hinted at earlier. Aleix Garrido, a name most who follow the subsidiary will be aware of, conjured up the opening through brilliant individual play that allowed Barça to exploit gaps created in the Sabadell structure.

Unai Hernandez, on the other hand, made sure to keep a keen eye on that specific opening. Knowing how Garrido likes to progress the ball, he acted upon instinct and trusted his teammate to do the rest. With this goal, Unai Hernandez now has five to his name this season, alongside three assists.

In the creative department, he is Barcelona Atletic’s second most potent assist provider. Moreover, his five goals now make him the second-highest scorer after Pau Victor, who has an exceptional tally of 12 goals to his name already this season as it is.

Furthermore, these numbers and the progress made by Unai Hernandez has not gone unnoticed by Xavi Hernandez. The Barcelona first team head coach has called upon Hernandez to train several times, but his feature may also not be too far away. With several first-team forwards injured or unavailable, Xavi could look to call upon Hernandez’s talents to find a solution to the frontline dilemma.