It is in the nature of FC Barcelona to always find a way back to their own roots. Even after years of reckless spending, the Blaugranes have tiptoed back to their dependence on youth talent. This same reliance is what once established Barcelona as European juggernauts.
With La Masia’s flame and dependence having been rekindled once more in recent seasons, new opportunities and prodigies are coming through. The likes of Pau Cubarsi have already showcased this season what kind of firepower and talent Barcelona has waiting in the quarry, but it seems that they will not be stopping any time soon.
As highlighted by MARCA, there is a new face among the first-team players. Xavi has recently called upon the services of 15-year-old Toni Fernandez, who trained with the Barcelona first team in the latest session. A striker of great promise, he mainly features with the youth teams.
However, despite his tender age, he is already seen as being special. Rafa Marquez, coach of Barcelona Atletic, has already seen up close the true capabilities of the young forward in the few meetings and training sessions he has been called upon. Now, it is Xavi’s turn to assess the heralded youngsters for himself.
Labeled as a versatile forward, he primarily plays as a striker but can also play in positions close to his ideal one. Moreover, he is said to have an extraordinarily strong and accurate shot, something that helps with his attacking exploits.
He is also said to possess great instincts and skill in one-on-one situations as well. Primarily left-footed, he also possesses a great deal of imbalance to his game. His abilities are regarded by all those that have seen him personally as being exceptional for a player his age.
With the precedent set by the likes of 16-year-old Lamine Yamal and 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi before him, young Toni Fernandez has a lot of things working in his favor. He is also already an international at the Under-17 level with Spain, further showcasing just how special of a talent he is.
Contractually, he sees his current agreement expire in the upcoming summer. However, in the case of Fernandez, there is not a lot of tension or worry as to what will happen. FC Barcelona are confident about retaining him, and Toni Fernandez himself dreams of representing the first team one day.
It is getting more and more common to see Barcelona and Xavi Hernandez call up new talents to feature with the first team. Through these experiences, more and more talents get the chance to prosper. Toni Fernandez was not the first, and he will most certainly not be the last either.
