While Barcelona are trying to rope in the big names this transfer window in the likes of Neymar and Lautaro Martínez, the club have also been trying to bring in talented youngsters from different clubs as a prospect for the future. Marca now reports that the Catalan club is looking at Rayo Vallecano defender Martín Pascual.
Ramon Planes, the technical director at Barcelona has previously seen the player from close range during his time at Rayo Vallecano. After he joined Barca in 2018, he has convinced Setién to take a look at the youngster.
Who is Martín Pascual?
20-year-old Pascual joined Rayo Vallecano as a youth player in 2017, and after impressing with the reserves side, Pascual was asked to be a part of the first team from this season onwards. His performances in the pre-season were enough for the gaffer to offer him a slot in the first team and the Spaniard made his debut in the Segunda División for the club.
Although the beginning of his Segunda División career has not been smooth with the player seeing a red card twice in seven matches, he seems determined to justify his inclusion and make a name for himself when football returns to action after the COVID-19 pandemic.
What would Pascual bring to Barca?
The most significant attribute of the Madrid born defender is his tall stature. He stands at 1.91 meters and that gives him a considerable advantage in set pieces, which he makes full use of with panache. At such an early age, the defender has shown remarkable composure and calmness on the ball, unseen of in such rookie starlets.
He does not bother to get dirty with his challenges and has never shied away from using his physicality. For a player with such physical traits, Pascual has terrific speed and makes sure that he gets in an advantageous position in one on one situations. The young gun has all the attributes to be one of the best defenders in the world in the future, and the club would do well to rope in a player like him.
Does Setién need him?
Barcelona have one of the best youth integration systems in the world, with the La Masia producing generational stars over the years. It is indeed true that Pascual would find it difficult to be integrated into the first team at the moment, but with patience and perseverance, the future star would find himself into the thick of things soon enough. Having said that, with Umtiti’s future at the club uncertain, there is not enough cover for the centre-back position for the Catalans, and that might be a trigger for Setién to seal this deal.
