Barcelona Opinion: Why promoting Allex Collado to the main team is a no-brainer?
According to a report from Sport, Barcelona are considering the promotion of reserves player Alex Collado to the main team.
The report also states that Ernesto Valverde was impressed by the midfielder during the pre-season friendlies.
Why should Barca promote Collado?
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Lionel Messi took the onus on himself to create chances and score goals throughout last season.
As far as the midfield unit was concerned, the absence of offensive-minded players was evident but it was brought into light only in the latter half of the season, where Barca failed against Liverpool in the Champions League, followed by the Copa del Rey slump.
Big names like Rakitic, Vidal and Philippe Coutinho, who are all known for their attacking inclination, were found inept to the point where they could neither take the scoring burden off the fellow attackers nor create chances.
Going forward, the Catalans have now got a precious talent on board in Frenkie de Jong. However, they should sort out another promising player to fill the void in the attacking midfielder area.
They should look no further than their academy talent, Collado, who has the potential to be one of the finest in Europe.
The 20-year-old broke into the reserves side the last term after helping Barca win the UEFA Youth League in 2017/18.
In his debut season in Spain’s second division, Collado added five goals and three assists in all competitions.
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Besides the attacking midfield role, he can also play on the wings on either flank. Even in the pre-season friendlies, Collado showed a glimpse of his immense ability, sharing great compatibility with his team-mates.
Final Verdict
The Catalans are open to selling Rakitic after finding that the Croatian cannot be a viable addition for the future. Considering Coutinho’s fall from grace and Vidal’s twilight, it is necessary for the Catalans to bring on a new and young midfielder sooner than ever.
And the smartest way to do that is by looking out for homegrown talents like Collado.