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Xavi Simons, Oriol Busquets & the top 10 teenage stars to watch at Barcelona

LaLiga

Barcelona

Osasuna

As an 18-year-old striker who has represented Spain at U-17 and U-19 level, there are high hopes that Abel Ruiz will go on to become first-choice centre-forward for La Roja. A skillful player with good technique, he was captain of the side that won the European Championship at U-17 level a few months ago and is currently one of the brightest talents at Barca B.

Abel Ruiz

He may be no relation to Sergio, but the two players definitely share similar characteristics. Like the older Busquets, Oriol is a central midfielder who is tall and known for his great tactical understanding of the game. The 19-year-old currently plays at Barca B but made his debut for the first team in the Copa del Rey against Murcia earlier this season.

Oriol Busquets

<p>Alex Collado is already Barca B's best midfielder, even though he&nbsp;will only turn 19 next month. He&nbsp;has not featured yet for the first team but is highly thought of by coaching staff at the Catalan club. Good with the ball at his feet and technically adept, he is known for his ability to carry the ball forward from midfield.</p>


Alex Collado

A centre-back similar to Gerard Pique, Mateu Morey is taller than the Barca defender and very good at bringing the ball out from the back. Born in 2000, he is still with the youth team after turning down several offers from elsewhere last summer – including one from Bayern Munich. He should have a bright future at Barca.

Mateu Morey

<p>Very much the pearl at La Masia right now, Xavi Simons is currently playing for the U-15 team and looks set to step up quickly over the next couple of years. Named after Xavi and also popular due to his curly&nbsp;blonde hair, Simons already has over a million followers on Instagram. A Dutch international at youth level, he has been compared to both Xavi and Andres Iniesta.</p>


Xavi Simons

The 19-year-old left-back has represented Spain at all age groups from U-16 to U-20 and is one of the most talented prospects at Barca B right now. He signed a new contract last summer and already has a prohibitive buyout clause of €12 million. Cucurella made his first-team debut for Barca in the Copa del Rey against Murcia earlier this season.

Marc Cucurella

Juan Miranda is another left-back who is progressing nicely at Barcelona. Brought in from Betis in 2014, the 18-year-old made his debut for Barca B in August and scored his first goal in January. He has represented Spain at U-16, U-17 and U-19 level, and Barca are keen to tie him down on a long-term deal to avoid him moving to another top European club.

Juan Miranda

Ricard "Riqui" Puig is a central midfielder who can also operate further forward as a false nine. The 18-year-old made his Barca B debut just last month against Gimnastic Tarragona and received positive reviews for his performance. He is highly regarded at the Catalan club, with good technical ability and tactical awareness.

Riqui Puig

The London-born former Arsenal youngster became the first Englishman since Gary Lineker to represent Barcelona's first team when he came on in the Catalan Supercopa game against Espanyol earlier this month, when he replaced Aleix Vidal after 77 minutes. McGuane, who only arrived in January, is a powerful defensive midfielder who has represented England at U-17, U-18 and U-19 level.

Marcus McGuane

Jorge Cuenca is a tall centre-back who plays for Barca B after making the move from Madrid-based club Alcorcon, for whom he had been the side's youngest-ever debutant at 17 years old and 114 days. Still only 18, he is an imposing presence at the back and has good technical ability as well.

Jorge Cuenca

Xavi Simons, Oriol Busquets and the top 10 teenage stars to watch at Barcelona | Goal.com India

As part of the NxGn series, Goal takes a look at the most promising young players waiting in the wings at the Catalan club

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