Germany's rising star takes his first steps with Barcelona

The German player has entered the integration phase with Barça.

Germany's Mikael Baza, one of Barcelona's bets for the future, played his first minutes in the blue and red shirt after appearing with the youth (B) team in a friendly match against Athletic Sant Just's first team.

It was a stern test for the 16-year-old Germany youth international. He came up against seasoned opponents, some of them more than double the age of the La Masia players.

Barcelona lost the match 2-1, but the German defender left a positive impression on his debut, according to the Catalan newspaper "Sport".

Baza read the game well, intercepting balls and covering ground quickly. He showed off good physical readiness and a clear presence in building play from the back, just days after joining and adapting to his new team-mates.

Market strategy

His signing, in his first season with Barça, fits the club's strategy of investing in young talent.

Standing over 1.90 metres tall, left-footed and physically strong, the defender ticks the boxes for a scouting department that has spent recent months rebuilding its recruitment system. The aim: unearth talent early, before Europe's biggest clubs get there first.

Barcelona will now watch Baza's development closely, with promotion to Pol Planas's youth (A) team a possibility this season. The player has already settled at La Masia and begun his gradual integration into the club's environment.

There is still plenty of room for the young defender to grow. He is also the cousin of Jonathan Tah, who was on Barcelona's radar before his move to Bayern Munich.