Barcelona will finalise youth midfielder’s contract’s extension next week – Romero

Aleix Garrido has been phenomenal for Juvenil A this season. Not only is the protege the captain of the youth team but has led on the field by example.

The 19-year-old midfielder has made six appearances for the club in the UEFA Youth League so far and has even found the back of the net once. In addition, he has five appearances in the Primera Federacion Group II and one under Xavi.

According to reports from Gerard Romero, the Catalans are looking to wrap up Garrido’s renewal at the earliest. The Juvenil A captain will likely renew his deal with the club next week with an official announcement immediately after.

The urgency from Barcelona’s end is owing to the youngster’s contract running out in June. Given that he is seen as one of La Masia’s brightest prospects, losing him for free would be devastating.

Speculations suggest that Joan Laporta wishes to hand the 19-year-old a deal until the summer of 2026, thereby pinning him with the Blaugrana shirt for the foreseeable future. Given his rapid ascent, it should not be long before one sees Garrido regularly involved with the first team.

The prodigy made his debut with the first team earlier this season when Barcelona took on Elche and came on for the final ten minutes of the night. After the game, Xavi had only words of praise for the teenager,

“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.

There are good chances that Garrido will thus be called up for the next preseason by Xavi. However, with Gavi, Pedri, Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Franck Kessie, Pablo Torre, and Perhaps Ilkay Gundogan all fighting for three spots in midfield, it is difficult to see the teenager enter the equation.