Everyone wants to convince Hansi Flick

BarcelonaHansi Flick's Barça will continue their preparation for the 2026-2027 season. Still without the bulk of their internationals, the team travels this Monday to St George's Park, the English football team's facilities, and will stay there until August 3rd. Besides bonding, the team will play two friendly matches. One will be behind closed doors, like this Friday's match (4-1) against Europa, and the other will be open to the public and media and will be played on Friday the 31st (8:45 PM) against Birmingham City of the English Second Division.

Alejandro Balde and Araujo, who are injured, are expected to travel to England, with Raphinha's situation uncertain, who was injured during the World Cup and could join mid-season. However, the week in England will serve the young players from the academy to convince Flick that they at least deserve to participate in the first team's training dynamics during the regular season. The main new additions to the list of thirty footballers are Ter Stegen—pending resolution of his future with Ajax—, Frenkie de Jong —who is recovering from his knee injury— and Fermín. Among the various young people to follow, the following names stand out.

Ebrima Tunkara, 16 years old

Ebrima Tunkara, born in Lamoi (Gambia), but raised in Catalonia since he was seven years old, in the Mataró neighborhood of Cerdanyola (with similar characteristics to Rocafonda, where Lamine Yamal is from), quickly stood out in his neighborhood's team. In the youth academy since pre-benjamin, at fifteen years old he already debuted with Barça Atlètic and became another case of precocious talent that La Masia captures and polishes. He plays as an attacking midfielder, although he can also play as a winger on either side. He already debuted as a goalscorer in the 4-1 victory in the closed-door friendly against Europa. "Physically, he's amazing: fast, strong, with a goal, technically gifted... A very offensive player," they detail to ARA from Barça's Ciutat Esportiva. International with Spain's lower youth categories, in June he was nominated best player of the U-17 European Championship.

Orian Goren, 17 years old

After Ebrima Tunkara, the Israeli Orian Goren is the second youngest footballer to participate in Barça's preseason. "He is a midfielder who stands out for his vision of the game and his final pass". He lives at La Masia, after arriving in 2023 from Maccabi Petah. Despite his youth, he has been a regular for Pol Planas's youth team A and, although his ideal position is as an inside midfielder, he can also play as a defensive midfielder. He has not yet debuted with Juliano Belletti's reserve team, but his talent has not gone unnoticed by Flick.

Hamza Abdelkarim, 18 years old

Hamza Abdelkarim joined Barça during the last winter transfer market. Administrative procedures prevented him from playing until the final stretch of the season, during which he stood out with six goals in eleven matches. An performance that earned him his debut in the World Cup with Egypt and that Barça has exercised its purchase option (1.5 million euros) with Al-Ahly to keep him permanently until 2029. Patrick Kluivert's son, Shane (18 years old) and Òscar Gistau (18 years old), both renewed until 2028, are two other attacking names to consider.

Ibrahim Diarra, 19 years old

Ibrahim Diarra, born in Mali, trained at the Africa Foot Academy and quickly stood out in the lower categories of the Mali national team. In the 2023 U-17 World Cup, he finished fourth, captaining the African team, scoring five goals and providing four assists. Barça signed him in December 2024. After a few months of adaptation, he became a key player for the Juvenil A team and one of the protagonists of the blaugrana triumph in the Youth League with two goals in the 2025 final. Flick already counted on him for last summer's pre-season, but a muscular injury prevented him from participating in the Asian tour. It was the beginning of a ordeal with injuries: a subsequent relapse led him to surgery in November for a tear in his right thigh rectus muscle, and he spent almost the entire year sidelined. "Injuries haven't helped him, but the club has very high expectations for him. He can play both as a midfielder and as a winger," they state from Sant Joan Despí.

Álex González, 19 years old

The one who has been at Barça the shortest amount of time, but who with the first friendly against Europa made it clear why Flick wants to have him under his command this preseason: a goal and an assist against the Barcelona team in the second half. He arrived halfway through last season from Damm's youth team, one of the most prolific academies in Catalonia. "He is right-footed, but he normally plays on the left, with his weaker foot. With only half a season in the A youth team, he has earned a place in the first team's preseason." In addition to his skill in one-on-one situations, he is also a winger with a scoring touch – he ended up being one of the top scorers in the youth Honor Division – and with a good foot for set pieces. He is expected to be an important player for Barça Atlètic this season.

Xavi Espart, 19 years old

Together with Héctor Fort (right-back) and Jofre Torrents (left-back), Xavi Espart forms the veterans of the group of youngsters that Flick is taking to England, where there are also footballers Toni and Guille Fernández. With Fort's permission, who last season played on loan at Elche, Espart is one of the players called to have more opportunities with the first team. His name became known to the general public last season because he debuted in the Champions League, against Newcastle. At Barça, he has been playing as a right-back for some time, but with the Spanish U-19 team, he plays as a defensive midfielder due to his vision of play and talent with the ball at his feet. "This will be an important season for him. He will surely continue at Barça Atlètic, but with a lot of presence in first-team training," they resolve from the Ciutat Esportiva. Midfielders Tommy Marqués and Brian Fariñas, whose departure to Girona has been halted, are also names to follow.