Brian Farinas: From La Masia Exit to Barcelona's Pre-Season Opportunity

Brian Farinas was supposed to be on his way out. Now he’s part of Barcelona’s plans.

A few weeks ago, the 20-year-old midfielder looked set to swap La Masia for Estadi Montilivi, with Girona pushing to sign him on a permanent deal. Talks advanced, the path seemed clear, and Barça were ready to cash in on half of his rights for around €1.5 million.

Then Frenkie de Jong went down injured at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and everything changed.

From exit door to pre-season opportunity

According to journalist Matteo Moretto, Barcelona have now decided to keep Farinas this summer and are already working with his camp on a contract renewal. The club’s stance flipped once the extent of De Jong’s layoff became clear and Hansi Flick stepped in.

With the Netherlands international ruled out for an extended spell, Flick chose not to green-light Farinas’ departure. Instead, he pulled the young midfielder closer, determined to study him up close during pre-season before making any final call.

The response from Farinas has been exactly what any coach would want. Given regular chances over the summer, the former Barça Atletic captain has impressed the German manager and the staff, turning what was supposed to be a shop-window pre-season into a genuine audition for a role in the squad.

The pressure of those weeks told in a different way too: Barcelona have opted to keep Farinas and sacrifice another academy product. Tommy Marques, who made his first-team debut last season, will leave the club.

Eight years of La Masia, a new deal on the way

Farinas’ story is a familiar one at Barcelona: a teenager who arrived from Villarreal in 2018, grew up in the La Masia system, and climbed through the ranks with Barça Atletic. Last season he wore the armband at times and delivered numbers that backed up the eye test — five goals and seven assists in 33 appearances for the reserve side.

His current contract runs until 2028, but the club are moving to adjust and extend it now that his future has swung back towards Camp Nou rather than Montilivi. The renewal is being handled by the relevant parties, with the decision already made that he will remain a Barcelona player.

Not long ago, Farinas was a footnote in the summer window, a useful asset to move on. Now he’s a live option in Flick’s midfield puzzle, with a fresh deal on the horizon and a vacancy in the squad created by De Jong’s injury.

From almost out the door to fighting for a place at Camp Nou — how far can he push that door open this season?