In collaboration with Goal, Voetbalzone regularly highlights young players who can go far in the future or who are already earning their spurs in (inter)national top football. This time the focus is on 17-year-old wing attacker Fabio Blanco, who made the switch from Eintracht Frankfurt to Barcelona last month.
With the arrival of Ferran Torres, Adama Traoré and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the selection of Barcelona received a major quality boost during the winter transfer window. The first signs are also encouraging, as the Catalans managed to find the net four times in the Camp Nou against Atlético Madrid (4-2). While Barca hope 21-year-old Ferran will continue to develop and play a key role at the forefront of the game for at least another decade los Azulgrana will play, there is no doubt that Traore and especially Aubameyang are more of a short term solution.
With that in mind, the arrival of Fabio Blanco is arguably a more important asset looking to the future. The 17-year-old arrived in Catalonia in January and signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with a €100 million escape clause. His arrival is seen as a coup, especially as Barcelona were disappointed just months ago that they had not been able to sign one of Spain’s greatest young talents.
Barca were locked in a battle with Real Madrid last summer to sign Blanco as his contract with Valencia expired in the final weeks. Manchester City were also reportedly interested, but it was Eintracht Frankfurt that surprisingly showed off the youngster’s signature. Blanco was looking for playing minutes in a first team. The success of other young foreign talents in the Bundesliga was probably the deciding factor for him. Barcelona were particularly disappointed as they have been following him closely for over a year and have sources within the club GOAL told they felt they could sign the talent before their contract offer was surprisingly turned down.
Blanco’s stay in Germany, however, did not turn out as he had hoped. Shortly after his arrival, the necessary changes took place internally at Eintracht Frankfurt. A new chairman, technical director and trainer were appointed at the German club, none of whom were involved in the decision to sign Blanco last summer. He never seemed to have any prospects for first-team prospects, instead playing just eight appearances for the Under-19s, scoring two goals.
By the time the wintry transfer window arrived, he was ready to leave Frankfurt. Although Real Madrid showed renewed interest, Barcelona seemed the ideal destination this time around, especially as Xavi had shown during his first months at the head of the club that he was willing to give the youth a chance. Barça also had the advantage that people within the club knew Blanco from his time at Valencia. José Ramón Alexanco, who is currently the director of Barcelona’s youth academy, brought Blanco from Almería to Mestalla in 2016. In addition, Barcelona’s acclaimed new sporting director Mateu Alemany is the man who oversaw Blanco’s latest contract extension during his time at loose Che†
What makes Blanco so special that clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid were so eager to sign him? A youth coach who has followed Blanco’s career described him to GOAL as a ‘very interesting winger, with a lot of intelligence and physical strength’. Blanco plays mainly on the right side. Unlike many modern wing forwards, he prefers to pass his direct opponents from the outside in order to provide his teammates with tailor-made crosses. His bravado and speed are considered two important parts of his playing.
The youth international of Spain also has a nose for the goal. Barca fans hope he can show that in the months and years to come. Blanco joined Barcelona B after his transfer, where he can get used to playing professional football in Spain’s third division. At the end of January, the teenager made his debut in the mini-Clásico against Real Madrid Castilla. He came off the bench and helped the Catalans get a point after trailing 2-0 before making his first appearance in the starting lineup the following week against Algeciras.
Given Xavi’s new signings, it is likely that Blanco will continue to make his minutes in the Barcelona U21 squad this season. The trainer can call on more experienced players from an offensive point of view. As fans look back on the wintry 2022 transfer window in the coming years, there is hope that they will not only do so as it symbolized the club’s newfound ambition, but also brought a star-to-be to the Camp Nou in the form of Fabio Blanco.