Barcelona teenage defender staring at a challenging summer following first-team breakthrough

Xavi Espart was one of the La Masia players to have made his first-team debut for FC Barcelona in the recently-concluded season.

Even though his appearances largely came as a late substitute, the 19-year-old right-back generated a lot of excitement with what he showed in his limited opportunities.

The excitement grew even more when Flick compared him to Joshua Kimmich, one of Bayern Munich’s most influential players of the modern era.

Crucial summer ahead for Espart

Now, according to AS, Espart faces a pivotal summer as he looks to build on a breakthrough season and convince Flick that he deserves a permanent place in the first-team squad.

A big summer ahead. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

This coming summer presents the La Masia graduate with two major opportunities – one each with club and country.

First comes the UEFA European Under-19 Championship, where he will represent Spain after a season in which he impressed in the UEFA Youth League, featured for Barça Atletic under Juliano Belletti and made his senior debut.

Then comes pre-season, where he hopes to earn Flick’s trust ahead of the new campaign and establish himself as a regular in the senior setup.

Kounde’s future uncertainty could help

Uncertain future. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Uncertainty surrounding Jules Kounde’s future could work in Espart’s favour. If the French defender were to leave, Barcelona would have limited specialist options at right-back.

Eric Garcia is expected to become the starting right-back next season and Ronald Araujo can fill the role when needed, while Hector Fort’s long-term future remains undecided.

Those circumstances could open a pathway for Espart to establish himself in the first team, following in the footsteps of other members of La Masia’s new golden generation of 2007 that also produced Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi and Marc Bernal.