Who Is Set to Be Barcelona's Next Big Star?
La Masia is not in a particularly healthy shape at the moment. Barcelona B were relegated last season and now play in the Segunda B—the third tier of Spanish football.
Gerard Lopez's team is even struggling in that competition, currently languishing in 17th out of 20 sides in their local group.
Furthermore, plenty of the young stars who were touted to become part of the first team in previous years have been sold off.
Adama Traore and Gerard Deulofeu are Aston Villa and Everton players respectively.
In both cases, Barcelona retain a buy-back clause, but it's difficult to see them returning to Camp Nou any time soon.
Bearing this in mind, picking out the next big star for Barcelona is a difficult task.
Sergi Roberto has the potential to be one because the central midfielder looks rejuvenated as a right-back.
The player has stepped up several gears this season and looks like he will become a key part of Luis Enrique's squad.
However, calling him a star might be a little far-fetched. Firstly, he may not be able to keep up his current form for more than a couple of months.
And secondly, even if he does, the way he plays doesn't really qualify him as a "star."
Marc-Andre ter Stegen is likely to be Barcelona's first-choice goalkeeper for the majority of the next decade, but you could already argue that by winning the Champions League and Copa del Rey last season, he already is a star.
His performances in this campaign have not underlined that, but you would back him to pull himself together soon.
Rafinha would have been the obvious option, but he damaged his right knee and will be out for most of this season.
He could still go on to be a key player for Barcelona, but for now, it's better to hope he recovers from the injury instead of speculating about what he might become.
Sergi Samper is a fan favourite, but Luis Enrique keeps picking Gerard Gumbau in the squad ahead of him when he needs a player from Barcelona B.
Samper's situation is compounded by the fact Sergio Busquets is the player in his way. You wonder whether he will have to go on loan to start getting regular game time at the top level.
Young forwards Sandro Ramirez and Munir El Haddadi will both be dreaming of becoming the club's next big star, but the former especially just doesn't seem to have the talent to really thrive at the club.
Both are good, talented youngsters who can play a part in Barcelona's title defence. If one of them was going to bloom fully, it would more likely be Munir, who possesses the greater skill set.
However, and there is still only a small chance of it coming to pass, the player most likely to become the next Barcelona star looks to be Alen Halilovic.
He is on loan with newly promoted Sporting Gijon and is flourishing in the north of Spain.
The youngster has been put straight into the midfield, and he is the main creative force in the Gijon side.
Some have likened his attacking movements to those of Lionel Messi. His diminutive stature and dribbling technique are reminiscent of the Argentinian, and he spoke of his admiration for the Barcelona No. 10.
"I went to Barça because of Messi. He's the best. The first day I saw him was a shock. I went weak at the knees," Halilovic said, per Sport.
Despite his various labels, such as the "next Messi" or the "Croatian Messi," it would be madness to put that weight on his shoulders.
For now, Barcelona fans should enjoy watching the 19-year-old strut his stuff in a Sporting shirt. And that's what he's been doing.
Against Deportivo La Coruna, he provided a brilliant assist for Alex Menendez as part of a performance in which he dazzled with some brilliant touches and flicks.
The following week against Real Betis, he shone again, cutting and jinking away from three defenders to slip in Carlos Castro, who found the net.
It's too early to say he will definitely be Barcelona's next big star, but he's a front-runner for the accolade.
.jpg?w=600 "Shedeur not currently in line for Browns QB1")
.jpg?w=600 "Ranking Every NFL Defense After 2026 Draft 📊")
