The waves of La Masia continue to help FC Barcelona prosper even in their most dire moments. This ongoing campaign is no different, as the aid of younglings arrived when it was needed most desperately. Ultimately, the Catalans have remained stronger than they believed themselves to be capable of being.
This ‘Baby’ Barcelona under the tutelage of Xavi Hernandez is a unique kind of storm. The likes of Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Hector Fort, and Marc Guiu, have established themselves as proper candidates to take on the torch that will one day be passed on to the next generation at Barcelona.
However, to ensure that the torch is passed on, Barcelona must first retain their services. As it stands, some of those players will be a headache to try to tie down for La Blaugrana. According to AS, however, Barcelona is already working on their specific cases to keep them grounded within the Catalan club.
Pau Cubarsi, the revolutionary young defender from La Masia, is arguably the biggest concern. The report suggests that his negotiations are not expected to be easy, and Barcelona are aware of this. European elites like Manchester City continue to loom about as well, with hopes of possibly luring the young defender away.
His current contract is active until 2026, but Barcelona hope to extend that duration. Similar to what they did with Lamine Yamal, they want to have a contract in place that automatically activates once he turns of legal age so that his journey at Barcelona continues well beyond 2026.
Moreover, the fact that he currently has a release clause worth close to €15 million only, Barcelona are concerned. Even in the latest transfer valuations by Transfermarkt, Cubarsi’s value surged to a new high of €25 million. Barcelona certainly do not want to lose him, and they will try their best to retain him.
The next two cases are those of Hector Fort and Marc Guiu. Fort is an easy topic for Barcelona, as his renewal is already a priority. The quality he provides as a fullback, coupled with his versatility, makes him a player Barcelona definitely want to continue with as he continues to prove himself even on the grandest of stages against the best of opponents.
His contract expires in 2025, but Barcelona will do whatever it takes to extend that expiry. With Marc Guiu, however, there is a conversation to be had. An efficient striker, he has proven himself to be capable of delivering in the right moments.
However, with Robert Lewandowski’s future beyond this season up in the air, Guiu’s renewal is not exactly as big a priority as his peers right now.
Lamine Yamal, and even Fermin Lopez for that matter, are already guarantees for Barcelona. While contractual updates are not exactly out the window, their extensions are more or less guaranteed.
Yamal is expected to continue with the team beyond his current contract once he turns 18, while Lopez already has a contract until 2027 in place with a €400 million release clause.
