Pau Cubarsi: The next great Barcelona centre-back ready to be the Gerard Pique replacement Xavi needs

Like many in La Masia, Cubarsi has roots in Catalonia. Born in Girona, in 2007, 100 kilometres from Barcelona, the centre-back joined his local academy as a youngster.

At four years old, he was snapped up by Girona, then a struggling Segunda Division side. It didn't take long for a bigger move to come, when Barcelona scouts brought him to La Masia at seven.

His talent was clear from a young age, but with more eye-catching prospects emerging through the Blaugrana academy - and a strong centre-back corps - Cubarsi wasn't considered elite. Still, he captained youth sides at multiple levels, wearing the armband for Under-13, U-15 and U-17 teams.

Cubarsi's first big moment came in the UEFA Youth League in 2022. He became the third-youngest Barca player to make an appearance when he saw the pitch against Viktoria Plzen in 2022.

Six months later, Xavi started to take notice. Cubarsi began training with the Barca first team in 2023, looking to impress on the same pitches as fellow La Masia star Lamine Yamal.

Cubarsi's Barca debut felt like a matter of time. The Blaugrana back-line has had issues this season, with a series of first-team central options either injured or out of form. Cubarsi's chance eventually came in the Copa del Rey against Unionistas, when he played the entire second half, and helped shore up a rearguard that had conceded a sloppy goal.

Since then, he has stayed in the senior squad, appearing in nine straight games, and starting six in a row. He has impressed throughout, looking a natural in the heart of the defence, and forming a steady partnership with Ronald Araujo.

Xavi summed his performances up after his debut: "He's very well prepared. He doesn't seem 16 when you speak with him. He is a focused and responsible kid. I don't think he lost a single ball, either.

"He's going to leave his mark on an era, the same as Lamine. We are continuing to build a team with young footballers. These are players who we must build the club's future with."

There's a lot to like about Cubarsi's game. At 6'1'' - and still growing - he already has the kind of frame required to function as a top level defender. He might not ever be an imposing physical presence. But if he grows and adds muscle, he will certainly be an excellent all-round defender.

His best, attribute, though, is his passing ability. Some of his disposition from deep is simply ridiculous. The teenager s the ideal modern ball-playing centre-back, who always looks for the forward pass. He can play the ball short or long, and is in the 88th percentile among all centre-backs in pass completion percentage, according to FBRef. His 4.49 passes into the final third per 90 minutes put him in the 81st percentile.

It's something that Cubarsi's U-13 manager Albert Puig noticed.

“Pau’s build-up is extremely clean. He can drive the ball up, thread passes to midfielders in the inside pockets but also send long balls to the opposite winger to provide the team with width and shake their opponents around," Puig told The Athletic.

Cubarsi is immensely refined for such a young defender. He has shown plenty of promise on the ball, and enough understanding of the areas around him to function at the top level for a long time.

However, he can still be a bit erratic in his tackling. Too often he has flown into challenges, often diving in when he could perhaps be a bit safer as a defender. A number of lunges against Granada proved costly as the Blaugrana leaked three avoidable goals.

Still, this is a poor Barca team that needs to improve across the board, and Cubarsi's occasional lapses have done little to hurt an otherwise struggling side.

There are two obvious - if rather lazy - comparisons for every emerging defender out of Catalonia: Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique. There are some traits of the former to be found here: leadership, aerial prowess, and physicality.

But Cubarsi seems to be more like Pique - not least because of his refinement on the ball. Both centre-backs have an eye for a pass, and can ping it around all day. They share a similar understanding of space, too. Even their physiques are comparable.

Pique would seem to be a lofty goal, though. Cubarsi is a talented youngster, but asking him to replicate the career of a club legend might just be asking too much.

Perhaps a more apt comparison - and impressive goal - would be Aston Villa's Pau Torres. Both are natural ball playing centre-backs, who always look for a tricky pass to spring attacks from deep. Cubarsi, certainly, could surpass Torres' talents. But there would be no shame in being an international-level central defender.

Rumours have already started swirling about Cubarsi's future. There has been scattered talk that both Manchester City and Chelsea are intent on securing his signature. But Xavi's recent comments suggest that the Blaugrana have no intention of parting with their academy product anytime soon.

He could already be in line for a step up. After impressing at the U17 World Cup for La Roja, he has reportedly worked his way into Luis De la Fuente's plans for the senior team - and is in consideration for selection for the senior side ahead of the March international break.

It would certainly be an achievement for a player so young, but might raise some alarm bells for Barca, who have seen their youngsters impacted by national team duty in the past.

Either way - and wherever he plays - Cubarsi has the talent and potential to be a top centre-back for a long time.