A promising Barcelona ace, nurtured in the club’s famed youth system, stuns fans by exiting after 13 years.
Shining Barcelona player, who has been developed in the famous youth academy, is leaving after an incredible journey of 13 years, and this moment marks the end of an era for the fan favourite academy talent and leaving fans in shock.
A talented youth player who was perhaps the best at his level has decided to seek new challenges that did him no favours after Barça Atlètic were relegated to the Second RFEF, as reported by Diario Sport.
This is another hammer blow for the club, as many of its talents will be presented with opportunities to continue in football.
With the contract expiring on June 30, 2025, and no renewal being offered, the decision was simply to move on to maximize his potential in a tough environment.
The player in question is Aleix Garrido, a 21-year-old midfielder who joined Barcelona as a benjamín in 2012.
He is regarded as an outstanding technical player, with special vision, and a leader as captain for Barça Atlètic.
Aleix has signed a three-year deal with SD Eibar in La Liga Hypermotion after turning down offers from Girona and Las Palmas.
Despite a season where he suffered a fractured fifth metatarsal, Aleix made 25 appearances, scored two goals, and added two assists.
He formally left the club on June 19, 2025, with a grateful heart, having made his first team debut under Xavi Hernández in 2023.
Garrido’s departure to Eibar, a club vying for promotion after finishing ninth in the second division, shows his ambition to play at a high level regularly.
There has been a lot of talk since he left Barcelona on why he might have been allowed to leave.
The club expressed their gratitude to him for his contributions, so they saw some potential.
Barcelona are finding themselves in a transitional phase, meaning that everybody has to think strategically to keep their youth prospects from leaving, especially to another La Liga club like Eibar.
Thankfully for the fans, they wish “El Pequeño Profesor” all the luck in the world and hope he can emulate his days at Barcelona in the Basque Country.
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