IN SPORT.ES
The delicate financial situation that FC Barcelona is going through is not only affecting the men's first team, it is affecting all sections and departments. Among them - and there are no exceptions here - is also the Blaugrana's grassroots football.
Within the framework of the economic adjustments, the lower categories are also suffering hindering of their sporting planning for next season. Barça, like the rest of the teams, started to take the first steps in the hunt for emerging talent around Easter, but has already come up against some refusals. Despite the difficult context, they keep calling, and presenting offers, but some of these priority targets are starting to slip away.
The Blaugrana club continues to have an advantage over its pursuers, due to the attractive sporting offer it can make to future footballers. The La Masia plan continues to attract generational talent, but the economic offers are starting to be a few rungs below those of other clubs. It is no longer just Real Madrid that are competing; the Premier League and the Bundesliga are increasingly breaking into the Catalan and Spanish market.
With this reduction in the budget earmarked for Barça's grassroots football, the costs involved in bringing in new signings are simplified, making it impossible, in some cases, to compete with other dizzying offers from other giants.
Problems with retaining players
This context not only affects the future incorporations for the youth teams, but also when trying to retain the talent that already wears the Blaugrana shirt. This is the case, for example, of Víctor Barberà and Ilias Akhomach, who have both rejected renewal offers and have decided to leave the Catalan capital to try professional football in other countries.
The centre-forward has a deal done with Brugge - as did his predecessor, Ferran Jutglà - and is out of the team as a result. The club has taken the decision, after learning of his initiative, not to call him up for the remaining matches until the end of the season.
As for the player from Els Hostalets de Pierola, as we have reported in SPORT, he will sign for Leeds United, although in his case he has continued to play under the orders of Rafa Márquez. Along with them, 13 other players from the Barca team will finish their contracts in two months.