Barcelona’s 18-year-old midfield talent leaves La Masia for lower-division club | OneFootball

Barcelona have a plethora of young talents bursting through the ranks at La Masia but it is not always possible for each player to make it to the big stage.

One such player happens to be 18-year-old midfielder Manu Vila, who has left the club to sign for lower league club Castellon, as confirmed by Mundo Deportivo.

Vila, 18, had been at La Masia since 2020, when he arrived from the UD Cornella youth setup. The young attacking midfielder enjoyed a steady rise through the ranks at the Barcelona academy and captained the club’s Juvenil B team last season.

The talented prospect was called up by Xavi Hernandez for several first-team training sessions during the last season.

Having been promoted to Juvenil A this term, the teenager did not get enough opportunities under manager Juliano Belletti.

A setback in the form of an injury meant Vila did not play until November 7th this season. After his return, he struggled to secure the trust of coach Belletti, who gave him only three league starts and did not feature him at all in the UEFA Youth League.

Furthermore, he was not part of Albert Sanchez’s plans for Barça Atletic either. And with his contract set to expire on June 30, Barcelona did not stand in his way as he made the move to Castellon, where he was officially presented on Thursday.

Initially, Vila will strengthen the youth team in the Division de Honor, but his potential places him on track to join the club’s B team in the near future, with hopes of making the jump to the first team in Segunda Division.