Who is Ferran Jutglà, FC Barcelona's newest striker?

Amidst the chaos that currently reigns in FC Barcelona, with the team out of Champions Leagues spots, playing Europa League for the first time since the 2000-01 season, and Dembélé causing a drama that belongs in Hollywood, a new hope comes out from the dressing room in the form of the Blaugranas newest gem: Ferran Jutglà.

Although he debuted only a month ago, he already established himself as one of Xavi Hernández’s top options on the offensive side, scoring two goals on his first two appearances wearing Barcelona’s colors; first, on the friendly match against Boca Juniors that Barça lost 4-2 on a penalty shootout in Maradona Cup, and then in La Liga against Elche, back in December on a match that ended with a 3-2 victory for Barça.

Now, Jutglà has become the newest player to excite Blaugrana fans, as he’s a multifaceted player that not only can start as a winger on any side of the pitch, but he can also play as a true forward, where Xavi seems more comfortable placing him.

But the recent glory he’s living now has a background of hard work, perseverance with a mix of true talent, something the club where he grew up didn’t seem to consider enough to keep him with them, as RCD Espanyol decided to not renew his contract at the end of last season, something that opened the doors for him to arrive in one of the Spanish most renowned teams.

Who is Ferran Jutglà?

Ferran was born in Sant Julià de Vilatorta, in 1999, meaning he’s not as young as the players Xavi has used to debut with Barça, but still, he’s fairly young. He started playing soccer in his hometown club, Sant Julià de Vilatorta, from where he jumped to Vic Riuprimer REFO FC.

But at the age of 9 he joined RCD Espanyol Academy, where he played until last season, even though he left the club on a couple of loans to Valencia Academy team, and to Sant Andreu FC, from Spanish third division. Although he always came back to Los Periquitos and was a beloved player for the fans, he never had a chance of debuting in La Liga with them.

His arrival in FC Barcelona

The 22-year-old right-winger joined FC Barcelona “B” as a free agent for the 2021-22 La Liga Season, after RCD Espanyol didn’t renew his contract. Jutglà, who was captain of Espanyol B and a lot of Blanquiazules hoped he’d became Espanyol’s next star, decided to join the other Catalonian club in La Liga, something that Espanyol followers felt like a treason.

He even kissed his captain armband, à la Carles Puyol, when he scored against Barcelona “B” on a match played last season in Johan Cruyff Arena, something that Espanyol followers now seem to remember as a bittersweet moment for them, as just one year later Jutglà was already scoring goals for the most hated rival.

Although Ferran was singed to Barça Academy team, given the injuries and the renovation of the team after Xavi’s arrival in the bench, he had the opportunity to join the senior squad back in December, when he had his debut in a match against CA Osasuna, where he played just a minute as a substitute.

Ferran numbers with Barcelona

During his first season as a Blaugrana player, Ferran Jutglà has disputed just 15 games with Barcelona “B”, where he scored a total of four goals and the same number of assistances prior his incorporation to the senior team, last December.

As part of Xavi Hernández’s squad, Jutglà has played a total of 8 official games as a senior player. Five of those matches were in La Liga, where, so far, he’s scored just one goal, during his first match in the starting XI against Elche FC. He’s also played two games in Copa del Rey, where he scored another goal, this time against Linares Deportivo. His last match so far was against Real Madrid in Supercopa.

When Ferran joined the club, his market value was set at just $170,000, but only six months later, given his success on recent weeks and the outbreak season he promises to have he’s now worth $1.2 million, a value that can only skyrocket in the near future.