Hansi Flick's New Midfield Star: Xavi Espart Steps Up

Hansi Flick might not have announced a new signing this summer, but Barcelona’s head coach looks to have added a fresh midfielder all the same. His name is already familiar inside La Masia. Now, Xavi Espart is about to find out what it means to carry that weight in a season that starts on Sunday night away to Elche.

Last year, in a campaign where Barça successfully defended their La Liga crown, Flick quietly opened another door from the academy to the first team. From the gifted Class of 2007 came yet another graduate, following the path laid out by Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí and Marc Bernal.

Espart joined that golden group in doing what millions dream of and almost none achieve: he played for Barcelona.

His debut didn’t come in the classic blaugrana, but in the bold orange away strip that has lingered into this preseason. The stage was hardly modest either. Flick sent him on late in a Champions League last‑16 first leg at Newcastle United, a tense 1-1 draw that demanded composure, not sentiment.

From there, Espart collected six appearances under Flick across the 2025/2026 season. They were mostly cameos, but they were enough to spark a debate that had already been simmering in academy circles: was he really a full-back, or had Barça parked a midfielder out wide?

La Masia coaches knew the answer. Espart grew up in the middle of the pitch, dictating play rather than patrolling the flank. Flick saw the same thing and, like Pep Guardiola once did with Philipp Lahm, began to picture a player who could slide seamlessly between positions without losing clarity or authority.

This summer, the experiment has turned into something closer to a decision. Espart has been used exclusively in midfield throughout preseason. At right-back, Eric Garcia now looks firmly installed, pushing Jules Koundé for minutes and giving Flick a clearer defensive hierarchy. Espart, freed from the touchline, has stepped into the traffic of central areas and looked at home.

The signs have been encouraging. Culers watched closely as Barça dismantled Basel 5-2 away last Sunday, and many came away talking about the 17-year-old. His performance carried the blend of calm and daring that La Masia prides itself on. Then came the Gamper Trophy against Al Ahly. In a 2-1 win that felt more serious than a typical friendly, Espart almost capped his display with a goal, denied only by a block near the line.

Those moments have changed his status. He is no longer just “one for the future.” He is a live option for Flick’s midfield, right now.

Opening Night In Elche

Barcelona’s title defence begins late, delayed like Real Madrid’s by the heavy World Cup involvement of their squads. That pause ends on Sunday at 21:30 local time, under the lights against Elche. The calendar says matchday one. For Espart, it could read “first start.”

Pedri is still not fit. New signing Rodri is also sidelined. Two absences, one big opportunity. Flick needs energy, intelligence and security in midfield. Espart offers all three, and crucially, he already speaks the same footballing language as those around him.

He could line up alongside two of his classmates from 2007, Lamine Yamal and Marc Bernal. The idea of that trio running a league opener for Barcelona would have sounded fanciful not long ago. Now it feels entirely plausible.

Pau Cubarsí is the lingering question. The World Cup’s Best Young Player did not feature in the Gamper, which has sparked doubts outside the club. Is he carrying a knock? Or did Flick simply choose to wrap him in cotton wool ahead of the competitive restart?

Inside the dressing room, the answer will be clear. From the outside, all that is obvious is this: the chances of all four 2007 talents starting together are growing. Lamine wide, Bernal in the engine room, Cubarsí at the back, Espart threading it all together from midfield.

For Barcelona and for La Masia, that would be more than a lineup. It would be a statement about where this era is heading – and who will be trusted to lead it.