Carles Aleña is losing importance at Barcelona after not even making the bench in their last two games.
Once thought of as the next big thing at Barcelona, Carles Aleña’s brief time as part of the first team has not gone as many would have hoped. The former La Masia prospect is in a precarious position between wanting playing time and wanting to succeed at the Camp Nou.
Aleña was shuffled between the senior team and Barça B last season but performed well on the rare occasions when counted on by Ernesto Valverde. The plan this season was to be a full-fledged member of the first team and to play an important role in midfield.
So far, those plans have not panned out.
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He started the first game of the season against Athletic Bilbao but was subbed out at half-time after a less than stellar performance. Though no one covered themselves in glory in that game.
Despite not being the only player culpable in that loss, Valverde has opted for other options in midfield and Aleña has been excluded from the squad in the last two match days.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Betis tried until the final days to acquire Aleña on loan and the player was receptive of the proposal. The reason why a move did not materialize is because Barcelona were waiting to see what happened with Ivan Rakitic.
By the time they resolved themselves that Rakitic was staying at the club, there was no time left to negotiate a deal with Betis.
As it stands, Aleña is at a crossroads because the midfield is clogged with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong, Arturo Vidal, Arthur, Sergi Roberto, and the aforementioned Rakitic.
In the first three games Valverde has opted to use Sergi Roberto in midfield despite mixed results. Aleña has also seen Ansu Fati and Carles Perez get an opportunity while he cannot even make the bench.
Barcelona are running the risk of wasting another home-grown player because of poor squad planning. They went into the season knowing that they needed to move players on in order for younger players to receive an opportunity.
Failing to move on Rakitic and Vidal means that Aleña is the one that gets sacrificed because it’s “easier” for the manager. He’s not going to bench Busquets, De Jong, Arthur, or Roberto and he has an infinite amount of trust in the Croatian and the Chilean.
To his credit, Aleña has been very patient with Barcelona. Rarely has he made a fuss over his lack of playing time. However, every player has their limit. He’s already criticised the club for giving away his jersey number without telling him first and it would come as no surprise if he finally speaks out over not playing.
Barcelona have spent millions the last couple of years trying to find replacements for Xavi and Iniesta. They’re never going to find them because they’re once-in-a-generation talents but if they were ever going to come close, it would have been through their academy.
They’ve tried with Andre Gomes, Arda Turan, and Philippe Coutinho. All three cost quite a bit and flopped in the end.
Carles Aleña could be that replacement but he needs to be given a chance. If not, he’s well within his rights to leave and develop at a team where he is valued. The lack of a pipeline to the first team is the reason why many academy players wind up leaving. Barcelona are on the verge of having that happen to them again with a first team player.
If they do not rectify this or make the pipeline more visible, not only do they risk losing Aleña, but they might lose Riqui Puig as well who undoubtedly sees how things are going, or not going, for his former teammate.