Al-Ittihad director spotted at Barcelona’s UEFA Youth League game vs Dinamo Zagreb | OneFootball

La Masia has historically served as a stepping stone for young talents to find their way into the Barcelona first-team and the academy has enjoyed its latest resurgence over the past few years.

In the form of Gavi, Alejandro Balde, Pau Cubarsi, Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal, the club has once again seen a massive influx of young talents from the academy who are all key members of Hansi Flick’s squad.

The competition for a place in the first team and the increased limelight on La Masia, however, has also attracted the attention of foreign clubs – particularly Saudi Arabia.

Planes in the stands

Earlier this year, Al Ittihad made the headlines by signing young Barcelona talent and Barça Atletic star Unai Hernandez for a fee of €4.5 million creating concern in the Catalan club offices.

Now, as relayed by Mundo Deportivo, Al-Ittihad’s sporting director Ramon Planes is attending Barcelona U19’s clash against Dinamo Zagreb U19 in the UEFA Youth League today.

Al-Ittihad signed Unai Hernandez from Barça (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

The game is underway at the Estadi Johan Cruyff and the former Barcelona sporting director was spotted in the stands in the section for agents and relatives of players.

It is thus clear that Al-Ittihad and other clubs in Saudi Arabia see a new market in signing players young and that their objective of roping in only big names is now a matter of the past.

Unai Hernandez was the first, but the coming transfer windows may well see the Middle-East-based clubs flock out in larger numbers in pursuit of young talents.

It must be noted that Pau Prim was also the subject of an offer from Qatar but the move did not go through. Arnau Pradas has also been attracting interest from Saudi.

Barcelona must thus be wary of the interest from the Middle East clubs in La Masia talents and ensure that they are on favourable contractual terms to keep them bound to the club.