Ranking the 6 Rising Stars of La Liga Who Would Be the Best Fits for Barcelona

Barcelona are always active in the transfer market when it comes to searching for the game's best young talent, snapping up promising players to participate in the youth and B teams and also to bulk up the first-team squad.

In recent transfer windows, the likes of Denis Suarez, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Digne, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Andre Gomes have all joined the Catalan outfit aged 22 or under, as they prepare for a successful future while also incorporating several of those players into immediate plans for domination under Luis Enrique.

With that strategy in mind, we've taken a look at six of La Liga's rising stars who would be a good technical and tactical fit for Barcelona. The list includes players who have already showcased their potential to one extent or another and could have a high enough ceiling to make the grade at the top level.

Our selections are all aged 22 or under, and although several are regulars for their respective teams, we've eschewed the truly top-tier names such as Saul Niguez and Mateo Kovacic, who are already established among the elite or are unattainable from bitter rivals.

6. Alejandro Pozo

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Strictly speaking, Alejandro Pozo isn't yet a La Liga rising star. He's still plying his trade in La Liga 1|2|3—the second tier of Spanish football—with Sevilla Atletico, the second string of the Andalucian club.

Even so, he's already shown more than enough potential to interest both the senior coaches at his current club and scouts of teams elsewhere, with Pozo even linked to Barcelona in the summer of 2016 when the two clubs discussed a potential transfer of Kevin Gameiro, per Estadio Deportivo (in Spanish).

Pozo can play anywhere across the attacking line, though he seems most effective at this stage from the flanks rather than centrally. Technique, skill, speed of thought and an ability to regularly create chances are all hallmarks of Barca attacking players, young or experienced, and Pozo ticks all the boxes.

At just 17 years of age, he's one to watch in a couple of years rather than the next couple of transfer windows, but his talent should ensure he's on the watchlists of most big clubs—although he could yet break through into Sevilla's first team.

5. Pablo Fornals

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Into the midfield zone, one of the more under-the-radar central operators over the past couple of seasons has been Malaga's Pablo Fornals.

Equally adept playing as the team's orchestrator from deep in the middle or roving forward to good effect and trying to prise open the opposition defence, Fornals is technically sound, uses both feet and isn't afraid to retain possession when being closed down, trusting his own ability to work out of tight spaces.

He can be overambitious with his passing at times—although that's a consequence of Malaga trying to play on the counter-attack and not having an outlet all the time as much as anything else—but Fornals is also a capable ball-winner who works hard through the middle and is trusted to be the team's deepest midfielder when needed.

As a Sergio Busquets-lite rather than one of the two more adventurous No. 8s in the team, Barca could do worse than monitor the continued progress of Fornals, who is still only 20 but has played close to 50 Liga matches already.

4. Theo Hernandez

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Theo Hernandez is an Atletico Madrid starlet, but one who is much further down the food chain than key starters who might not be available to Barcelona right now.

Theo is the brother of Atleti's back-up defender Lucas Hernandez—who himself would make a fine target, of course. While Lucas has shone most frequently in the centre, Theo operates at left-back and has been a revelation for Deportivo Alaves this season, where he's on loan for 16/17 to gain top-flight experience.

Just 19 years of age, Theo has progressed quickly through Atleti's youth system and doesn't look remotely out of place in La Liga against some of the finest wide forwards and wingers around, tackling with ferocity and keeping position with all the determination you'd expect from a defender triumphing at Atletico.

Other parts of his game impress too, such as his ability to surge forward into the attacking half, deliver intelligent passes into the box and retain possession when sensible to do so.

We're not ready to hail him as Jordi Alba's heir-in-waiting just yet, but he's certainly got the ability to progress a lot further as a left-back—and he is also a capable central defender in his own right, too.

3. Mauricio Lemos

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A centre-back option now, one who AS' Alvaro de la Rosa reported Barcelona—and Real Madrid—have already been linked with: Mauricio Lemos.

The Las Palmas defender hasn't quite fired on all cylinders this season, making only a handful of starts near the beginning of the campaign before having to wait his turn on the bench more recently. But having only just turned 21 years of age, it's hardly the biggest problem.

Lemos showed last year he can handle Liga defences with aplomb, with his style based on both aggression and reading of the game to position himself ahead of attackers. A downturn in fortunes in the short term won't be a worry for those who have seen him play over several months.

Indeed, if Barcelona feel the likes of Hernandez may be too expensive, Lemos not playing as much this term could yet make him a more accessible transfer in the longer term.

2. Jorge Mere

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Continuing at the back, next up is one of Spain's best young talents.

Sporting Gijon's Jorge Mere enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season and has continued that form into 2016/17, impressing in the first half of the year with his maturity and consistency.

A classy central defender who reads the game well and plays out of defence without fear, he's a good fit for a Sporting side who—while lacking overall ability and resilience—are impressive when playing with confidence and have trust in younger members of the team when needed.

Mere fits the style of a Barcelona defender to a tee, though he naturally lacks the judgement in decision-making that comes with experience.

At just 19 years of age, he could make a move in a year or two and be ready for a significant step up, thanks to the three seasons of Liga action he'll have under his belt. Barcelona should be waiting for that moment.

1. Angel Correa

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He's undoubtedly the best-known player on the list, but Angel Correa hasn't quite cracked it as a guaranteed, regular starter for Atletico Madrid just yet—though he would be at most other clubs, without question.

Aggressive, non-stop with his running and with incredibly quick feet in changing direction and beating defenders to get a shot away, Correa is an all-action attacker who can play behind the striker or can cut in off the channels to good effect.

He's not a striker or a wide forward, instead he's someone who enjoys operating in spaces between defenders to link play or turn and create immediate danger.

Correa would be an ideal fourth forward for Barcelona—much better-suited than Paco Alcacer has been or is likely to be—on account of his ability to impact off the bench within minutes, his ferocious approach play somewhat mirroring that of Luis Suarez and his obvious capacity to improve.

The down side? At 21, he's already a full international, a big part of Diego Simeone's squad and would cost an absolute fortune—but he'd be worth it, now and in years to come.

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