Barcelona youth prodigy to debut his new shirt number against Athletic Club

Barcelona youth prodigy to debut his new shirt number against Athletic Club Xavi Espart has become the talk of the town at Barcelona following his solid performance in the opening game against Elche CF. Many are expecting Espart to follow in the footsteps of Pau Cubarsi and become La Masia ‘s next big defensive asset. In light of his early success, Espart has also been reportedly handed the number 12 jersey in the first team. Espart to debut with no. 12 against Athletic Club According to SPORT , Espart is set to debut with the new number 12 jersey when Barcelona take on Athletic Club later this evening. Espart will likely feature vs Athletic Club. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images) It appears the young defender is set for another start following his impressive display against Elche, and we can expect to see him in the left-back position, starting ahead of Joao Cancelo. Only this time, Espart will don the number 12 jersey, previously worn by the likes of Martin Braithwaite, Riqui Puig and Rafinha. Espart previously used to wear the number 36 kit, but a change to number 12 caps off his entry into the first-team fold, which itself is a big achievement for the young La Masia prodigy. What’s next for Xavi Espart? It is clear that Xavi Espart has the talent to become a viable first-team option for Hansi Flick in the years to come. All eyes on Espart against Athletic Club tonight. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images) However, for that, he must capitalise on his recent form and make sure he performs well against Athletic Club, a team that has way more attacking firepower than Elche CF. As far as Espart’s fortunes this season are concerned, the youngster could be set for a contract renewal that will likely come with a pay raise. From a sporting perspective, this would make sense as Espart could be a solid option on both defensive flanks, which in turn, will make Barcelona less reliant on stars such as Jules Kounde, Cancelo and Eric Garcia. What will be particularly interesting to see is whether or not Flick decides to continue utilising his qualities at left-back. The next few matches are going to be crucial for the youngster.