FC Barcelona’s transfer action has caused outrage among their local rivals Espanyol, with the Blaugrana about to snap up goalkeeper Joan Garcia by paying his €25 million buyout clause this week.
The 24-year-old is Espanyol’s best player this season, and his exit has disappointed many members of the Parakeets fanbase.
Of course, the objectives of Barcelona are not just in the first team, as the Catalan giants continue to plunder Espanyol’s youth set-up.
According to Diario Sport, Barcelona is set to take three other players from Espanyol, with both clubs solidifying Barcelona’s future and development of the club’s academy.
The utility for Barcelona is to mix experienced signings with local and external young talent.
The three academy players are striker Pol Mancheno, and Korean siblings Minguk and Daehan Lee.
Mancheno, a 16-year-old centre-forward, attracted attention from all the big clubs when he scored 23 goals for Espanyol’s Infantil A last season.
Barcelona’s next stop for Mancheno is as a forward for Barcelona’s Juvenil B side.
Minguk Lee is a right-back who has great speed and running and is known for his quick surges down the right flank, complete with accurate crossing. Lee is one of the top talents in the Espanyol Academy.
His brother, Daehan Lee, was also a reliable and versatile player, having moved from right-back to winger after playing at the Infantil age group.
After seven seasons with Espanyol, the Lee Brothers are now taking their talent to Barcelona.
This youth heist follows Barcelona’s previous attempts to sign the Lee brothers and allows them to bolster their lower leagues the same way they did with Garcia.
And while Espanyol supporters may cringe from seeing their once-mighty prospects leave the club, it is Barcelona’s determined effort in excising their competitors to take complete control over the field and competition off of it.
The Lee brothers are at La Masia now, which would make them the next influx of potential stars for the Blaugrana’s future.
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