Through development and opportunity comes the growth of players, but not everyone can do so at Barcelona. The Catalan club remains one of the most demanding sides in football and only a select few players become regulars. However, those who are not regular often find a voice away from Barcelona.
Keeping that in mind, several Barcelona players, for various reasons, are currently out on loan. However, there are definitely certain cases that are more complicated than others. The defensive players that Barça currently has out on loan or away on a different agreement are not alienated from these complications either.
As such, SPORT has highlighted four Barcelona defenders that the Catalans could likely rely on in the future. The names that they have primarily assessed are Mika Marmol, Chadi Riad, Eric Garcia, and Julian Araujo. All of them are currently in Spain and doing their own part to help their sides in La Liga.
Mika Marmol (22 years old):
Once a prodigious member of La Masia and the Barcelona subsidiary, Mika Marmol now plays for UD Las Palmas. His first transfer came in the summer of 2022 when he departed for FC Andorra. That deal saw FC Barcelona retain 50% of his economic rights as well as a buy-back option.
Not too long after, however, he joined UD Las Palmas. The Canary Island-based team, led by Garcia Pimienta, was quite interested in the technically gifted Barcelona product. Now, if Barcelona wants to have him back for themselves, SPORT reveals that negotiations with Las Palmas are obligatory.
Chadi Riad (20 years old):
A Moroccan defender by origin, Chadi Riad is another player currently out on loan. Unable to get too many minutes with the Barcelona first team, the decision to join Real Betis was quite easy. The team from Seville came knocking and allowed Riad the opportunity to get regular first-team minutes.
However, when Barcelona initially accepted this proposal they could not expect the after-effects. Certain unforeseen departures and issues saw Real Betis lose several key defenders.
As a result, the 20-year-old Barcelona loanee has now become a regular starter for the side and could be bought permanently as well. While not publicly official, SPORT highlights that the player possibly has a buy-option of 50% of his rights for Betis which is worth €3 million.
Eric Garcia (22 years old):
In the case of Eric Garcia, there is no buy clause added by Barcelona. The Spaniard’s departure was purely based on the fact that the player needed more minutes. Moreover, his development at Girona has been exceptional. Thus far, he has already appeared 12 times for Michel’s team in La Liga alone.
His arrival is expected back at FC Barcelona in the summer of 2024. Improving rapidly both in terms of his defensive capabilities as well as his technical understanding of the game, Garcia is a player that Barça definitely want back at the club.
Julian Araujo (22 years old):
The Mexican fullback needed a move away from Barcelona to resume playing football. Certain issues involving his transfer ultimately kept him away from the field while at Barça, but his subsequent loan away to UD Las Palmas has been a great decision.
With 14 games under his belt in La Liga, the fullback is developing exceptionally well. He has two goals across all competitions for Pimienta’s side and honing his holistic capabilities as a fullback. Barcelona hope to have him back as no buy option is available for Las Palmas.
