Scouting Barcelona's Rising Star Wilfrid Kaptoum
Wilfrid Kaptoum has been compared to Thiago Alcantara, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta, but like so many young Barcelona players before him, whether he will make it at the club is unknown—it's not for a lack of talent, though.
It is not easy to play at the Camp Nou. One of the biggest challenges for players coming through La Masia and the many youth teams is a mental, rather than technical, one.
In terms of raw skill, the club are producing players who operate at a high level, but perhaps they aren't strong enough in terms of willpower, determination and patience.
The likes of Gerard Deulofeu, Adama Traore and Alex Grimaldo are recent departures, and it is tough to imagine them returning to Catalunya any time soon, even if the club have buy-back options on them.
Kaptoum's actual ability is not in question. His idol is Iniesta and when you see how the ball sticks to the feet of the 19-year-old Cameroonian, you can tell he's been copying the legendary Barcelona No. 8.
His greatest strength is his creativity on the ball. Whether that's by driving forward and jiving through defenders or releasing his team-mates with through passes, he makes things happen.
In Barcelona’s 0-0 draw with Villanovense in the Copa del Rey in October, during which he made his debut, the midfielder was the brightest spark by far.
His most recent contribution, earlier in February, was to find the net for the club after he was brought on as a false nine against Valencia, also in the Spanish cup.
Kaptoum has the talent to transition the ball from midfield to attack, and he's happy to take on players or bypass them entirely by using his team-mates. He’s not selfish, but he does know that sometimes going himself is the best option.
Josep Capdevila, an editor at Diario Sport, a Barcelona-based newspaper, and an expert on Barcelona’s youth teams, spoke to Bleacher Report about Kaptoum.
He said: "Coach Garcia Pimienta helped change Kaptoum’s position, making him believe he could play as a No. 10, instead of the No. 6 he grew up as. He has great vision on the pitch and is good at dribbling and excellent at arriving in the box.”
Barcelona-based journalist Graham Hunter described Kaptoum as a "gem for the more refined eye," saying on his website that the youngster's "precision, technique, discipline and work rate" is "reminiscent of the Guardiola era."
But the reason why a player with this much quality is not a certainty to become a star at Barcelona is down to almost everything apart from his technical ability.
For one, how long might he have to wait to play?
There are plenty of other players ahead of him in the pecking order who don't look like moving. Despite his history as a pivot, it is clear Kaptoum is better in one of the two more advanced midfield positions, as an interior or a No. 8. Even mediapunta, the No. 10 role, suits him better than the No. 6 now.
That leaves two places open to him in the current system, usually occupied by Ivan Rakitic and Iniesta. Both have more years left on the clock.
Arda Turan is also fighting for one of those two places, with the attacking line of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez not to be dismantled. So too is Rafinha Alcantara, who has spent most of this season out injured, while Sergi Roberto has stepped up his level considerably this season.
The latter two are the youngest of the bunch—at 23 and 24—so Kaptoum knows they could be around for another decade, depending on how things go.
That is where patience comes in. And Kaptoum showed great strength and fortitude during a long spell out injured, when tendon problems followed by a hamstring injury spoiled most of his 2015.
Kaptoum graciously explained how his recovery was expedited by the support of those around him at the club.
Per Sport, he said:
"The confidence shown in me by the coaches and the club has given me the strength and the desire to want to triumph in the world of football, to help my team-mates. Above all, the medical team have been great. They were always very attentive to my recovery.
...
No, I never despaired. I was good mentally because of the help of my family and the team. Everything has gone well, thanks to the doctors, as I said before, and I appreciate them a lot. I am also thankful for my representatives for their support and in the end everything has worked out. I had to work a lot to achieve it, though.
"
Recovering from these problems to come back and perform so well on the odd occasion he is asked to by Luis Enrique is a big asset for Kaptoum.
He also showed his character and willing with the Infantil A team, when he offered to play in goal against Real Madrid after the usual stopper got injured. Kaptoum saved a penalty; Barcelona won the tournament.
And yet, having a perfect mindset and the right attitude for years on end is no guarantee of eventual success either.
It seems to have worked for Roberto, but not for players like Jordi Masip and Marc Bartra—aged 27 and 25 respectively—who don't look like ever nailing down a regular first-team spot, despite their long periods of service.
And according to Sport, Paul Pogba is a prime transfer target. If that move happened, it would essentially end any hope of prying one of the midfield berths in anything but the long-term future.
But if Kaptoum decides he must go and is sold, other teams can't expect to get the same player he might have been at Barcelona.
Capdevila told Bleacher Report: "At Barcelona they are taught to attack. Training always sees them using the ball. The ball, the ball, the ball. Any physical work takes place inside, in the gym.
"Kaptoum is not excellent defensively; that needs to be worked on. He's always thinking about the attack, rather than having a defensive mind."
At Barcelona defensive work isn't the priority. But should he play in the Premier League—or even for other La Liga sides—they will need to help him adapt his game again to fit in with the team's style. Doing that while retaining his natural flair may be tough.
It would be sad to see Kaptoum curbed, like Jose Mourinho tried to do to Juan Mata at Chelsea, before the Spanish midfielder was eventually shipped off to Manchester United. But if he were to be picked up by another side, it wouldn't be easy for him to fit in.
Physically, he can improve. To play outside of Spain, he must. Even at Barcelona, much more is being asked of the midfielders than in the Guardiola era, given the magisterial front three are not tasked with defensive chores.
Kaptoum has spent his teenage years playing the Barcelona way after arriving at the age of 12, one of several youngsters taken in through the Samuel Eto'o Foundation. He is the only one left, which concerns his potential more than anything overly negative about the others.
And however it ends for him, unless injury has its say once again, you suspect he will succeed.
At least he has a piece of Barcelona history already written. It was Kaptoum’s goal against Valencia which preserved the team’s unbeaten streak, extending it to 29 games, beating the 28 achieved under Guardiola to create a new club record.
Quotes obtained firsthand unless specified.
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