Back in January, a report in Spanish outlet AS claimed that Pep Guardiola was “in love” with Barcelona star Pau Kvarsi.
The La Masia starlet had only just turned 17 when the book was published. Although he only played a few games for his boyhood club, he was described as a perfect combination of Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol. Guardiola was said to be facing “huge internal conflict” over the possibility of raiding the club that has named him one of his top prospects.
If you're relatively switched on and have been consuming soccer media online for some time, chances are you've developed a keen joke detector. Especially when it comes to the Spanish press, there is a tendency towards hyperbole to fill a few inches of a daily newspaper column.
yeah yeah. We've heard it all before. Every new star player in the academy is the second coming of an all-time great player in his X position at the club. How good is this kid really?
The answer actually seems like a damn good thing. Maybe there was something to that report, and maybe Guardiola is actually getting serious. Because, looking at his performance in Barcelona's 1-0 win over Mallorca, Kvarsi looks like a rebirth of Pique.
Kvarsi won't turn 18 until 2025. When it comes to this, it seems like we have to say it, but at the time he was born, his No. 1 song was Beyoncé's “Irreplaceable.”
And when it comes to the future of Barcelona's backline, he may prove to be irreplaceable (sad).
Xavi's side came under pressure from Mallorca, who arrived in Catalonia riding the crest of a wave after clinching a place in the Copa del Rey final in midweek. However, Barcelona's defense withstood all attacks and kept a clean sheet, leaving them just one step behind Real Madrid in the title race.
Alongside centre-back Iñigo Martínez, who has played more than 350 games in La Liga, Kvarsi looked equally mature. His reading of the game and positioning were exemplary.
Pau Kvarsi vs Mallorca
Already world class at 17 years old💎pic.twitter.com/fqvkfSFK7p
— Jean (@FutbolJan10) March 8, 2024
Quiz: Can you name all the players Xavi used at Barcelona?
“Pau Kvarši doesn't look like a 17-year-old! He is very calm when he plays,” Xavi told reporters after the final whistle.
“Lamine Yamal was also great, but comparisons with Leo Messi won't help him. Calm down.
“Indeed, Kvarshi and Lamine are different. They're just different.”
Kvarsi and Lamine Yamal, who scored the winning goal, are only 33 years old together, but Robert Lewandowski is older than both of them combined.
Still, they were Barcelona's two best players on the night.
In the capital, Real Madrid are building a formidable team. With Kylian Mbappé all but confirmed to join Carlo Ancelotti's already solidified squad, Barça's great rivals are looking to regain the same domestic dominance they had in their heydays under Guardiola and Luis Enrique. It seems that there is a good possibility of enjoying sex.
Barcelona is still in dire straits financially. They cannot match Los Blancos when it comes to signing star players and investing big money.
But as long as La Masia continues to produce ridiculously talented prospects like Yamal and Kvarsi, there's hope that they might be okay.
However, there is work to be done regarding Kbarshi. The teenage centre-back's contract runs until 2026, but vultures are buzzing with rumors of a €10 million release clause for him. Chelsea are said to be on the list along with Man City. Securing his future at the Camp Nou should be one of the club's top priorities, and talks to re-sign him are said to be underway.
No matter what happens to Kvarsi, and wherever he plays his football over the next few years, he looks destined to be at the top.
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