It took Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang only 21 minutes to find the back of the net against Elche. Nearly four years had passed since his last spell in Spain, and the Gabonese striker, now 37, was certainly not playing for FC Barcelona anymore. That didn't matter. Aubameyang latched onto the end of a long ball, took a touch, and neatly slotted it home before hitting his trademark flip to celebrate.
That was Deportivo A Coruña's first goal in La Liga since 2018, when the club were relegated. It's been a rough spell, with Depor even sinking as low as the third division, but now the Galician club are back with a bang. Aubameyang is one of many signings the club have made, and he won't be the only name that Barcelona fans recognize.
Alongside Aubameyang in attack is Adama Traoré. Traoré is a La Masia product, embarking on a unique career that saw him move all over England and find his way back to Barcelona in the 2021/22 season, the same year as Aubameyang. However, while Aubameyang enjoyed great success, scoring 13 goals in half a season, Traoré flopped, finishing with four assists in 17 games before returning to England.
Neither Aubameyang nor Traoré lasted more than a full season at Barcelona. Aubameyang left the Catalans for Chelsea, where he flopped, but returned to form with three strong seasons in France and Saudi Arabia. He is Depor's marquee signing. Traoré, on the other hand, quietly faded in England with Wolverhampton and Fulham, and now joins on a free transfer after a poor spell with now-relegated West Ham.
In defense, there are two more ex-La Masia products in the form of Adrià Altimira and Arnau Comas. Comas, who left Barcelona for FC Basel, has yet to play a minute this season, but Altimira, who found more success with Gerard Piqué's FC Andorra, started Deportivo's first two games on the wing.
Neither of the two ever played for Barcelona's first team, but they did represent the club at youth level, as did Luismi Cruz. The 25-year-old winger is now a key player for Deportivo, but just three years ago, he was playing with Barça Atlètic in Spain's third division. He assisted Aubameyang for the lone goal in a 1-1 draw with Málaga.
The most obvious Barcelona link, though, is a player who comes from La Masia and has not even left the Catalans permanently yet. Deportivo made one of the smartest moves of the summer when they brought young midfielder Marc Casadó in on loan on deadline day.
At 22, Casadó already has an impressive resume. The midfielder has made two appearances for Spain, appearing in the Nations League just months after La Roja's European Championship triumph. He has made 75 appearances for FC Barcelona, winning two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, and two Spanish Super Cups.
Casadó would be a nailed-on starter for most La Liga clubs, but not with Barcelona's loaded depth. The midfielder flirted with a move all summer, with Saudi Arabia touted as a potential destination, but with just hours left in the window, he ended up at Depor on loan with an option to buy. He's a massive add for the newly promoted club.
It's very early in the season, and quick starts can be misleading. At this stage in the season last year, Real Oviedo had already claimed one win, shocking Real Sociedad. Oviedo went on to win only five more games and finished last in La Liga, some distance away from safety. La Liga is a very tricky league to find consistency over the course of a season.
However, as things stand, Deportivo are looking like strong candidates to stay up and perhaps even go further, and their ex-Barça boys will be absolutely crucial. More than a few Barcelona fans will be watching this season whenever Casadó and Aubameyang take the pitch.
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