Barcelona youth signing finally arrives after month-long wait: ‘My dream is to make my first-team debut’

Barcelona youth signing finally arrives after month-long wait: ‘My dream is to make my first-team debut’ Barcelona have been very attentive to making developmental signings since the arrival of Deco and Joao Amaral, apart from developing those already in La Masia . A good academy always has a strong mix of homegrown talents and foreign imports, and Barça are working to ensure that the latter is in place for the long-term future of the club. Among the many names the club have focused on is Josue Caicedo, a young Ecuadorian defender with massive potential. Now, according to SPORT , the club’s newest academy signing has finally arrived in the Catalan capital after a month-long delay caused by bureaucratic issues. The 18-year-old defender landed in Barcelona on Monday night and is expected to join training immediately after the club resolved the paperwork that had prevented him from leaving Ecuador. Bureaucratic delay finally over Barcelona announced Caicedo’s signing on 13 July, bringing him in from LDU Quito on a season-long loan with a €2.5 million purchase option that could become mandatory if certain conditions are met. The original plan was for the youngster to report for pre-season on 20 July, but visa and administrative issues delayed his arrival by almost a month . With those obstacles now behind him, Caicedo can finally begin adapting to life at his new club. Clear ambitions from day one Speaking shortly after arriving at Barcelona-El Prat Airport, the Ecuadorian made his objectives perfectly clear. “I am grateful to everyone here. I want to become a champion and stay here. My dream is to make my first-team debut for Barça,” he said. Those ambitions mirror the club’s own long-term vision for the highly rated full-back, who is viewed as a player with significant physical and technical potential. Caicedo also revealed which Barcelona player he looks up to most. “My idol at Barca is Balde,” he admitted, highlighting the similarities between the two attack-minded full-backs. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Liga Deportiva Universitaria (@ldu_oficial) The teenager added that he has not yet spoken with sporting director Deco but insisted he has continued training throughout the past month despite the delay. Although only 18, Caicedo has already gained valuable senior experience with LDU Quito, making eight first-team appearances and debuting in the Copa Libertadores earlier this year. From a Barça perspective, he is a player who has considerable upside, but the club need to be careful with his adaptation. His immediate focus will be establishing himself with Barça Atletic, but like many promising youngsters arriving at the club, his ultimate objective is much bigger. In Hansi Flick, the Ecuadorian has a manager who has shown he trusts youngsters if they can prove themselves, and it remains to be seen how Caicedo gets on for the reserve team in the coming season.