Xavi impressed with 16-year-old Barcelona defensive prospect’s maturity – report

Barcelona’s famed La Masia youth academy has churned out top talents over the years that have gone on to become the main stars of the first-team setup.

There was a brief lull in that trend for a few seasons but recent years have seen the Blaugrana once again bank on the wealth of La Masia to replenish the first-team resources on a regular basis.

Ansu Fati, Gavi, Alejandro Balde, and more recently Lamine Yamal have all made big splashes at the senior level and more are knocking on the doors of manager Xavi Hernandez.

Pau Cubarsi gaining Xavi’s confidence

One such talent who is on the cusp of a first-team breakthrough is teenage defensive prospect, Pau Cubarsi.

Indeed, SPORT reports that Xavi sees the 16-year-old centre-back as a mature player despite his age and has shown great confidence in him.

Cubarsi has been with the first-team setup regularly in recent weeks and has even been named in the matchday squad in the last two games against Villarreal and Osasuna in the absence of Ronald Araujo.

Meanwhile, Cubarsi has also been registered in the UEFA Champions League squad for the group stages and will very much likely act as the fifth-choice centre-back for the team following the loan exit of Eric Garcia.

Cubarsi has Xavi’s confidence

The report states that the Barça technical staff have been impressed by Cubarsi’s maturity, ability to defend, as well his physicality.

At 16, the Spanish talent has a lot to learn and develop, but it appears that Xavi already has a lot of confidence in the teenager.

And, as such, he could be turned to as the fifth-choice centre-back behind Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde, and Inigo Martinez, although Marcos Alonso would also be an option.