Emergence of Xavi Espart shows embarrassment of riches La Masia keeps producing

La Masia has done it again. 

If Barcelona were considering upgrading their left-back, the search didn’t take very long, with the incorporation of Xavi Espart into the first team. 

The 19-year-old has shown his tremendous ability and maturity in Barça’s opening games this season, playing all three matches so far. 

Nominally a midfielder, he’s also played some time at right-back, but the youngster has shown valuable versatility and adaptability by making the left-back position his own since pre-season, something especially rare for a right-footed player. Playing on his unnatural side is another mark of his footballing intelligence. 

Espart has enormously impressed in his first games in the blaugrana team, keeping more experienced players like Joao Cancelo and Alejandro Balde out of the first XI on merit. 

He’s shown an innate capability to read spaces, knowing when to position himself wider to open up play or when to come inside and make an angled run forwards, as well as showcasing fantastic ball skills in control and passing. 

“His level is really great,” manager Hansi Flick said of the Vilassar de Mar native. “I love to see new players coming through La Masia playing at this level. It doesn’t matter if he plays at full-back, as a number 8, on the left side, as a deep-lying midfielder, it’s incredible. He knows what to do with the ball, he’s fantastic,” the coach added, glowingly. 

On Monday night at the Camp Nou, visitors Rayo Vallecano attacked Barça’s right-hand side much more than the left, sensing more of a weakness in Jules Koundé than the youth academy product. 

After the introduction of Joao Cancelo with 15 minutes to go, Espart was given the chance to play in midfield alongside Spain’s World Cup-winning captain, Rodri. 

The addition of the young Catalan comes at a time when manager Hansi Flick has been vocally critical of Alejandro Balde’s attitude this year, who was Barça’s starting left-back last season. The German coach left Balde out of the squad in their opening fixture and out of the team since, saying the player needed to be “100% committed with professional football,” calling his mentality into question. “His first season here was fantastic, but he can improve more.”

Most clubs would have to resort to the market to solve such problems in their squad, but Barça have the advantage of looking in-house first.