Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News 
When Unai Hernandez left Barcelona to affix Al Ittihad in January, many believed it was a one-off switch orchestrated by a former Barça director Ramon Planes.
Nevertheless, it seems it’s a part of Saudi Arabia’s larger plan of creating the Professional League a extra inclusive league.
It appears Saudi Arabia has developed from solely signing confirmed or established European stars at lofty valuations.
They’re now additionally eyeing strikes for younger gamers seeking to make a fortune on the earth of soccer, with Unai Hernandez being a superb working example.
Barcelona could possibly be the primary sufferer
As reported by SPORT, Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy has turn into a chief goal for this new technique, as emissaries from Saudi golf equipment have elevated their presence on the Ciutat Esportiva.
Al-Ittihad’s sporting director, Planes, was seen attending a Youth League match between Barcelona and Dinamo Zagreb, additional signalling the rising curiosity in Barça’s academy gamers.
Unai Hernandez’s January transfer shocked everybody (Photograph by Alex Caparros/Getty Photos)
Saudi Arabia has launched an formidable ‘Younger Gamers’ programme, which focuses on buying younger skills and both integrating them into the Saudi Professional League or loaning them out to European golf equipment.
The concept is to present these gamers a secure pathway for improvement whereas additionally sustaining management over their futures.
This implies Saudi-backed groups might quickly maintain the rights to an growing variety of rising stars, doubtlessly making it tougher for golf equipment like Barcelona to retain their greatest prospects.
The precedent has already been set with Spanish skills like Gabri Veiga and Unai Hernandez opting to depart Europe for Saudi Arabia, and extra names might comply with.
Barcelona, to that finish, should turn into extra vigilant in relation to defending the long run and pursuits of their academy stars.
