Barcelona’s pursuit of star talents such as Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Cesar Azpilicueta, among many others, has been well documented this summer as the Catalans seek to bolster their ranks ahead of the new season.
However, Barca are also scouring the market for hidden gems in Spanish and European football, as part of the club’s policy to promote young talent.
Barcelona notably brought in Emre Demir and Pablo Torre ahead of the new season, with Xavi particularly having high expectations from the latter.
In another coup, the club appear to have completed the capture of Alvaro Nunez, a 21-year-old defensive talent who plied his trade for Athletic Club’s reserve side until last season.
The news of the capture was confirmed in an interview with Iñaki Arechabaleta, the pre-candidate for the presidency of subsidiary Athletic Club, as revealed by Diario SPORT.
A Bilbao native, Nunez was part of the club’s youth roster from an early age, until he ran out of contract at the end of the 2021/22 campaign. Currently a free agent, the youngster has been signed by Barcelona.
Nunez will be included in Barcelona’s B team. A right-back by training, he will have to fight for his breakthrough in the reserve, which will again be led by Sergi Barjuan despite the uncertainties about his future in recent months.
Barcelona’s plight in the right-back department has been well documented lately, especially with the club set to offload Sergino Dest next summer.
Dani Alves is also not expected to continue beyond the end of 2022, while potential new signing Cesar Azpilicueta is already in the twilight of his career, paving the way for Nunez to break into the senior team.
However, with no previous experience in top-flight football, Nunez still has a long way to go before he can establish himself as a first-team option for FC Barcelona in the near future.
