La Masia’s lost sons: The players you (might have) forgot had Barcelona DNA

La Masia, Barcelona’s famed youth academy, is one of the best places in the world to develop footballers.

La Masia has produced such historic legends as Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Sergio Busquets, Victor Valdés, Gerard Piqué and, yes, Leo Messi too. It’s produced many great players besides them, such as Jordi Alba, Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Marc Bartra.

It’s a production line for quality footballers that usually succeed at Barcelona, allowing the Catalan club to be one of the best sides in the world. But not all of the players go on to wear the famous Blaugrana; or if they do they wear it, they do so just briefly before making such a name for themselves elsewhere that people often forget their roots.

Here’s a list of 11 of the most memorable of La Masia’s lost sons:

1. Mauro Icardi

Position: Striker

Career path: Barcelona, Sampdoria, Inter

Inter’s fearsome striker, the mercurial Argentine whose goalscoring prowess is only overshadowed by his interpersonal relationships, the player whose very essence as a “bad boy” runs counter to everything Barcelona allege to stand for, was once a Barcelona youngster!

Icardi joined the club at the start of the Pep Guardiola era and progressed through the youth teams there for two-and-a-half seasons. He was impressive, but the first team had shifted to using a false nine and with that system permeating through all teams, Icardi lost his spot to Rafinha before, in the end, deciding to leave for Sampdoria.

No one could blame him, and he shone brightly for Sampdoria before eventually joining Inter. In Milan, he has amassed almost 200 games and over 100 goals. He is now club captain and will surely do his best to continue providing effective performances for the famous side in blue and black.

2. Munir El Haddadi

Position: Winger

Career path: Barcelona, Valencia (loan), Alaves (loan), Sevilla

Munir El Haddidi burst onto the scene in 2014 after an impressive season with Barcelona B in which he netted 18 goals in 28 games. He took this form into his early career in the first team but couldn’t quite keep that form up.

Debuts always seemed to go down well with Munir at Barcelona. On his UEFA Youth League debut in the B team, scored twice before bagging 11 in 10 across the competition. He also scored on his La Liga debut in August 2014 against Elche.

However, he could only add four more La Liga goals to his Barcelona tally in the next four years. He had relatively successful loan spells at Valencia and Alaves scoring 16 goals across both spells but Barcelona decided to let him go this January as he moved to Sevilla for €1m.

3. Pepe Reina

Position: Goalkeeper

Career path: Barcelona, Villarreal, Liverpool, Napoli (loan), Bayern Munich, Napoli, Milan

Perhaps it was because they signed him from Villarreal, but even Liverpool fans would be likely to forget that Pepe Reina came through the ranks at La Masia. In fact, before Victor Valdés it was Reina who was the club’s big hope, so much so that he was in goal when Liverpool knocked them out of the 2001 Uefa Cup. He obviously left Catalunya and would excel for every team he turned out for. His cheery personality was so infectious he was a constant feature in the Spanish national side during their golden era, even if he barely played.

4. Mikel Arteta

Position: Midfielder

Career path: Barcelona, PSG (loan), Rangers, Real Sociedad, Everton, Arsenal

Everton and Arsenal’s midfield metronome was once a Barcelona boy! Arteta began his career at Barcelona as a Guardiola-esque defensive midfielder but found his path to the first team blocked by, well, Guardiola. Xavi, too. So he left.

Once in the Premier League, he spent over a decade showing his undeniable quality on the ball and is now currently assisting the man who once blocked his career path, Pep Guardiola, as Manchester City assistant manager.

5. Jordi Cruyff

Position: Midfielder

Career path: Barcelona, Manchester United, Celta (loan), Alavés, Espanyol, Metalurh Donetsk, Valletta

When your dad is one of the greatest figures in Barcelona, and indeed world football history, then you know you’ve got a lot to live up to. Jordi Cruyff came through La Masia but even given his dad’s presence, he was never going to cut the mustard.

He left Barcelona for Manchester United, where he played sporadically over four years. A return to La Liga was what he needed and he was one of the key men that helped lowly Alavés reach the 2001 Uefa Cup final, only to sadly lose despite his 88th-minute equaliser.

6. Keita Baldé

Position: Winger

Career path: Barcelona, Lazio, Monaco, Inter (loan)

The flying wing-forward who made his name at Lazio initially started as one of Barcelona’s many talented young players. Impatience for a first-team chance saw him sign with Lazio before he was even eligible to play first-team games, but once he did debut he played with true verve. He joined Monaco but never really took his game to the next level.

7. Adama Traoré

Position: Winger

Career path: Barcelona, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Wolves

The human take-on machine, Adama Traoré had all the technical and physical tools to become a Barcelona legend. Unfortunately, he struggled with adopting the tactical demands of the Blaugrana and coach Luis Enrique was hesitant to pick him.

Traoré left, making a bad career move by joining Aston Villa – who gave him such a big contract they ended up benching him just to avoid paying him. He got relegated, joined Middlesbrough and then got relegated again. Now he’s at Wolves and will be hoping his phenomenal dribbling skills can help him avoid a third successive relegation.

8. Giovani dos Santos

Position: Forward

Career path: Barcelona, Spurs, Ipswich (loan), Galatasaray (loan), Racing (loan), Mallorca, Villarreal, LA Galaxy

Giovani dos Santos broke through at the same time as Bojan and Leo Messi. The three should have been the “trident” of the future, but Dos Santos wanted to get paid sooner rather than later. He left the Blaugrana for Spurs, where he was such a flop, and spent the next few years being so terrible people genuinely forget he was once almost as bright a prospect as Messi. Though, to his credit, he currently has enough sauce to deny Zlatan Ibrahimovic the no. 10 shirt at the LA Galaxy.

9. Thiago Motta

Position: Midfielder

Career path: Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Genoa, Inter, PSG

This elegant hatchet man was so preposterously violent and cynical that no one would have associated him with Barcelona, but that is exactly where he broke through. Motta came through La Masia and played over 100 games for Barcelona; he would have featured more (and maybe have become a great) had injuries not wrecked him. He got his “revenge” in 2010 when he helped Inter depose Barça and become European Champions. Had a late-career renaissance for PSG, where he found the slower pace and increased violence of Ligue 1 appealing.

9. Alex Grimaldo

Position: Left Back

Career path: Barcelona, Benfica

Beginning his career at Valencia’s youth setup, Grimaldo arrived at La Masia in 2008 when he was 12. A very promising player, he went on to make his Barcelona B debut at just 15 years and 349 days in 2011. This made him the youngest player to play in the Segunda Division. The following season saw Grimaldo establish himself in the B team where he would go on to make 92 appearances in four years. He also appeared in the 2012 European Under 19 Championship Team of the Tournament.

Despite impressing in the B team, Grimaldo failed to make a single first-team appearance for Barcelona. With his contract set to expire in the summer of 2016, Benfica snapped him up in December 2015 for €1.5m. Since moving to Portugal, Grimaldo has progressed steadily. He played 14 games in his first full seasons which was doubled in the 2017-18 season. At Benfica, he has also won six trophies including back to back Primera Liga’s.

10. Luis Garcia

Position: Winger

Career path: Barcelona, Valladolid (loan), Toledo (loan), Tenerife (loan), Valladolid (loan), Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, Racing, Panathinaikos, Puebla, UNAM, Atlético Kolkata, Central Coast Mariners

He of the ghost goal! To be fair, no one would know Luis Garcia had ever come through La Masia because he played for so many different clubs. Sure, Liverpool signed him from Barcelona, but Barcelona had signed him for Atlético Madrid (just one year after selling him there, gotta love the buyback!) and Rafa Benitez had managed him before, with Tenerife, but he was on loan there from Barcelona after coming through La Masia… it’s very complicated.

Still, he played more for Liverpool than he has for any other club. He helped Liverpool upset the odds against Juventus and Chelsea to win the Champions League. After that, the only way was down, and eventually, he returned to La Liga to play for Atleti again, before embarking on something of a World Tour, playing in Greece, Mexico, India and finally Australia until finally calling it quits in 2016.

11. André Onana

Position: Goalkeeper

Career path: Barcelona, Ajax

Onana joined Barcelona’s youth academy from Samuel Eto’o’s Foundation in his native Cameroon but would never represent their first team. A handful of games at youth level was enough to convince Ajax’s sporting director, and former Barça winger, Marc Overmars to bring him to Amsterdam.

Initially starting in their reserves (Jong Ajax) the Cameroonian goalkeeper would subsequently become Jasper Cillessen’s understudy. A capable back-up Onana got his big chance once Cillessen moved to Barcelona in the summer of 2016.

Since establishing himself as Ajax’s number one he’s not looked back. Onana, who has played over 100 matches for the Dutch giants, was a key member of the side which reached the 2017 Europa League final and remains a formidable presence in their back-five.

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