Mika Faye, a left-footed central defender, has stood out in training and Xavi has placed him in many training sessions alongside Araujo
He is 17 years old, learned from the same teacher as Gvardiol in Croatia and shared a team with Carlos Olmo, brother of the Spanish international
Mika Faye has been one of the signings of the pre-season of FC Barcelona. He has arrived to reinforce Barça Atlètic, but he is doing the summer job with the first team. The 17-year-old Senegalese is convincing to the point that Xavi Hernández has given him a lot of prominence.
Xavi has tested it in many training sessions alongside Ronald Araujo. Faye is left-handed and the rapport with the Uruguayan has been positive. The young footballer is taking advantage of the gap for the absences of Christensen, with additional permission, and of Iñigo Martínezfor exercising alone.
The African is standing out for his good handling of the ball, in addition to some powerful physical conditionswhich allow him to be a forceful defender both in the cut and in the jump for the aerial game.
Mika Faye has entered Barça on the right foot
| Javi Ferrandiz
On Wednesday he will travel with the rest of the team to the United States and will be one of the footballers that the Barcelona fans will discover in the four games of the American tour.
Chelsea and Dortmund wanted it
Faye has signed from NK Kustosikja, from the Croatian second division. Barça announced his arrival for 1.5 million euros, a high amount for a young man, but that he had to pay due to the possibility that He will go to Chelsea or Borussia Dortmundwho bet heavily on him.
Xavi Hernández’s idea tipped the balance. The coach spoke to him before he joined and explained that his good handling of the ball would fit in with Barça’s philosophy. Xavi had good reports of him and he has not hesitated to give him confidence from the first moment.
Xavi Hernández, during a training
| FC Barcelona
Faye’s career is guided by Andy Bara, a manager who controls a lot the Balkan market. Andy preferred that he learn in a modest team like NK Kustosikjaaway from the spotlight, and from here take the leap.
Compared to Gvardiol
His coach, Samir Toplak, has confessed that he is one of the two best players he has ever coached in its training stage. The other is Josko Gvardiol, the left-footed center back who shines at Leipzig and the Croatian team, which is desired by Manchester City.
Curiously, Faye shared a team with Dani Olmo’s brother, Carlos Olmo, 27, who acts as a pivot in NK Kustosikja. The references that he had about Barça from the Olmo family were also positive.
Quick adaptation
At the moment he expresses himself in French, like an important group in the locker room, and also in English. Adaptation will not be a problem for a boy who is 17 years old He was already able to live in Croatia from Senegal and soon he will also speak Spanish.
In principle, Faye has arrived to play for Rafa Márquez’s Barça Atlèticbut his presence in the training sessions of the first team can be habitual and a good preseason always adds up with prospects for the future.