The reality of FC Barcelona in this current market is that the club would ideally prefer to avoid having to make huge transfer signings. Not because they would not like to make such moves, but because of the financial limitations that they are already dealing with.
As a consequence of that, Barcelona have paid a lot more attention towards their own youth in recent times. Many key young players have, consequently, emerged and now play a leading role in the first team as well. However, not every promising young starlet has enjoyed the same kind of opportunities.
One name that pops up in this specific regard is that of Unai Hernandez, a 19-year-old key player for Barcelona Atletic. While Hernandez has continued to play at a high level for the subsidiary this season, his opportunities with the first team have essentially been zero.
However, one thing remains certain, Barcelona do not wish to lose him in 2025. As highlighted by SPORT, the club is absolutely sure that they do not want the entire Marc Guiu situation to be repeated when it comes to Unai Hernandez.
For context, Guiu was a former Barcelona youth striker who ended up featuring at times for the first team last season even before the club had reconsidered his contract that had a €6 million release clause attached to it.
Ultimately, that would become a fatal mistake that would lead the young striker to join Premier League side Chelsea for exactly that amount of money going Barça’s way.
In Hernandez’s case, however, the club does not wish for him to become a prominent first-team player even before they have the opportunity to do that. Fortunately, as per the report, all concerned parties are hopeful about reaching an agreement.
It must be kept in mind, however, that the club is not deliberately holding him back from the first team to accomplish this. Instead, if Hansi Flick believes that his presence is required, he has every right to call him up for a first-team game. So far that has not happened, but surely with the quality that he has shown so far it is no longer a distant impossibility.