Pau Cubarsi has been turning heads at Barcelona. Xavi has admitted that the defender's passing range is among the best he has ever seen. Ronald Araujo, meanwhile, compared him to Gerard Pique, while fellow teenage wonderkid Lamine Yamal dubbed him one of the best in the world.
To an extent, all three were correct in their summations. The centre-back has burst onto the scene for Barca over the past six weeks, looking every bit the La Masia graduate who can shepherd the Blaugrana backline that the club has craved for years.
This is undoubtedly reason for excitement. Xavi's side have endured a miserable season, full of injuries, poor results, and the ultimate collapse of what seemed to be a promising title defence that has led to the manager's decision to walk away at the end of it. The club has been looking for positives to cling onto, and Cubarsi's emergence - along with that of Yamal - is certainly one.
But, like so many youth products to rise through the Barca academy system, those good vibes could yet be squashed. And once again, the Spanish national team are to blame.
Manager Luis de la Fuente has called-up Cubarsi for Spain's friendlies against Colombia and Brazil, offering a starry-eyed 17-year-old the opportunity to represent his country. But for Barca, who have seen so many of their top talents either drained or injured in part due to the rigours of international football, Cubarsi is better off at home.
The teenager was never going to turn down a national team call-up, but Spain should know better than to throw another immensely-talented youngster into the fire before he has settled in at a senior level.
