The sudden rise of Nico González has perhaps been surprising but also nothing short of incredible. Of course, if you were following him during his LaMasia days, this may not shock you as much. After all, the young midfielder has always been a great and versatile talent within the academy.
But nowadays, that’s also no guarantee of success. The likes of Riqui Puig and Carles Aleñá among the current crop of graduates can attest to that. Still, Nico feels different in many ways. His player profile makes him stand out from the crowd despite traits akin to some of his academy peers.
Frenkie de Jong, on the other hand, comes from a similar and yet, different background. Yes, the Dutch school of football is at the very core of Barcelona but the two are still not one and the same. Frenkie, however, was dubbed as the perfect fit for the Catalan giants; an outsider with the understanding and skill of a local.