Barcelona keen on renewing 19-year-old La Masia midfielder, talks have started

Before the game against Elche, Xavi had special words of praise for young Aleix Garrido who had just made his debut.

“Aleix would have been summoned before, but he suffered an ankle injury. He has talent and last pass, perhaps what we miss the most without Pedri,” he said about the La Masia graduate, comparing him with Barcelona’s most important midfielder.

According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, the club are now on a mission to renew the protege’s contract. The 19-year-old has a deal until June in Catalonia, after which he will be a free agent.

Contacts between the two parties have begun and both sides wish to find a mutual agreement. After all, Barcelona consider him to be one of the brightest talents from the academy and one who can leave a mark in the first team in the years to come.

Joan Laporta wishes to hand the youngster a contract until the summer of 2026, thereby securing his long-term future. Having recently become the tenth academy player to debut under Xavi, the coming years will only see him rise in prominence.

The teenager has played 20 games this season, nine for the U19A team in the league, six in the UEFA Youth League and five for Barca Atletic. In that duration, he has found the back of the net three times.

Garrido joined La Masia 11 years ago and played for the under-8 setup. Since then, he has gone on to represent the Blaugranas at every level and reached the apex of the pyramid earlier this month.

The only question surrounding his future, however, is the competition. With Gavi, Pedri, Franck Kessie, Pablo Torre, Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong competing for starting spots and the club eyeing the likes of Sofyan Amrabat and Ilkay Gundogan, Garrido could be left with no space to grow.