Barcelona have brought in multiple young players from Africa in the last couple of years, and the latest to join will be Ibrahim Diarra. A deal was agreed earlier this year, although he cannot officially arrive at the club until January because he does not turn 18 until next month.
Diarra has been on Barcelona’s shortlist since he impressed at the U17 World Cup, where he scored five goals and provided four assists for Mali. Understandably, the Catalan giants have high hopes for him upon his arrival, and Sport say that a roadmap has already been established.
Upon joining, Diarra will immediately join up with Barca Atletic, although he may have to wait for his debut as a player needs to be unregistered before he is eligible to play. Once he gets into being involved, he’s expected to be closely followed by those involved in the first team.
Barcelona expect Diarra to progress greatly in the coming years, and it would be no surprise if he was promoted at some stage by Hansi Flick. For now, expectations will be tempered slightly, but there is excitement about him.