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The Scouting Report ”“ The most promising Barca graduate since Messi

Name: Gerard Deulofeu Club: Barcelona Nationality: Spanish (Catalan) Position: Forward/Winger &nb...
Newstalk
Newstalk

17.14 14 Apr 2013


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The Scouting Report ”“ The mos...

The Scouting Report ”“ The most promising Barca graduate since Messi

Newstalk
Newstalk

17.14 14 Apr 2013


Share this article


Name: Gerard Deulofeu

Club: Barcelona

Nationality: Spanish (Catalan)

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Position: Forward/Winger

 

Who is he?

Born in the Northern Catalonian city of Girona, Gerard Deulofeu trod a path well worn by many talented young players from the region by joining FC Barcelona. The youngster joined the fabled La Masia aged 9, back in 2003.

Five years ago at the age of 14, he signed a promotional deal with Nike worth €150,000 – a sign of the esteem he was already held in.

BY 2009, he was playing for Spain U16s, progressing through the youth ranks – a journey that will surely end in the senior setup in the not too distant future.

 

Achievements

Deulofeu may not have lined out for Spain’s senior team yet, but he was called up to a Barca matchday squad for the first time towards the end of the 2010/11 season, while still a registered member of the club’s youth team.

Although spending most of his time with Barcelona B, he has made two La Liga appearances and three Champions League appearances over the past two seasons as the Blaugrana try to ease him into the first team reckoning.

With that in mind and with the league title all but wrapped up, Barcelona gave him his first La Liga appearance of the season last weekend as a second half substitute in the 5 – 0 demolition of Mallorca and more opportunities are set to arise between now and May.

But while achievements are sure to come at club level, he is already a double European U19 Champion for Spain, triumphing in 2011 and 2012 – starring in a 5 – 0 win over Ireland in the quarter-finals of the former while he was named player of the tournament in the latter.

                                                                                                                                                              

Attributes

It goes without saying that Deulofeu is inculcated with a natural skill for the tiki taka style of football that all Barcelona youth products possess.

Technically outstanding, the young winger or striker is a prolific goalscorer, netting 18 goals in 27 games for Barcelona B in Spain’s second tier this season.

Quick, creative and a skilful dribbler, Deulofeu possesses the flair to unhinge the meanest defences.

However due to his innate skill, he has a tendency to try to go it alone which has raised question marks about his ego and whether his mentality fits into a team-oriented system like Barcelona’s.

 

Potential

Still just 19, Barcelona understandably do not want to rush the brightest gem from their academy. But the way in which he is lauded by the club and observers suggest that he will become a first team fixture sooner rather than later and then fulfil his world class potential.

In Spain he has often been described as the most exciting product from La Masia since a certain Lionel Messi.

 

Plays a bit like…While the comparison to Messi occur because they came through the same youth system, in fact he shares many similarities with Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo.


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