Barcelona youth prodigy faces uncertain future despite full faith from Hansi Flick – report

Barcelona youth prodigy faces uncertain future despite full faith from Hansi Flick – report Barcelona youngster Alvaro Cortes has given a very good impression of himself during pre-season, following on from an impressive first-team debut against Alaves at the end of last season. The 21-year-old left-footed central defender has looked special during the opportunities he has received and looks ready for the first team. When asked about his future a couple of weeks ago, Cortes made it clear that he had moved past the Atletic team and is harbouring hopes of a first-team place. Alvaro is now heading into a decisive week regarding his Barcelona future, with the young centre-back still prioritising a place in Hansi Flick’s squad despite receiving concrete offers from several major European leagues. According to Mundo Deportivo , Barcelona and the 21-year-old are working together to find the best solution, with no final decision yet taken over whether he stays or leaves. Flick believes Cortes can contribute Flick has full faith in Cortes. (Photo courtesy: Instagram/alvaarocortes) Ronald Araujo’s loan move to Liverpool has opened up a possible pathway for Cortes in the first-team squad. The defender is now being considered as a candidate to become Barcelona’s fifth centre-back alongside Pau Cubarsi, Eric Garcia, Gerard Martin and Andreas Christensen. Flick is satisfied with what he has seen from Cortes during pre-season and believes the youngster can offer something to the squad. That is significant because Cortes is no longer being viewed simply as an academy player filling numbers during summer preparation. He has put himself into the conversation for a genuine first-team role. Strong interest from across Europe At the same time, Cortes is not short of alternatives. The report states that he has concrete offers from clubs in La Liga , Serie A, the Premier League and other European competitions. That level of interest reflects how highly he is rated after an impressive season with the reserve side and a strong pre-season under Flick. If Barcelona ultimately decide that his minutes would be too limited, the club would have several credible options to work with rather than forcing a move. Barça remain his priority Alvaro Cortes has a future at Barcelona. (Picture credit: Instagram/@alvaarocortes) Despite all the offers, Cortes’ own priority remains clear. The defender wants to stay at Barcelona and establish himself at the club. He is convinced that he can contribute and is focused entirely on proving himself. Even for Hansi Flick, having another left-footed option in the squad apart from Gerard Martin in central defence would be very useful. The least Cortes deserves is a fair chance in the first team to prove himself, and it remains to be seen whether Flick gives him that this season.