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The young players Barcelona has to one day replace Sergio Busquets

Who will inherit his legacy?

Valencia CF v Villarreal CF - LaLiga Santander Photo by Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

It’s the end of an era. Sergio Busquets is leaving. And while FC Barcelona will scour the transfer market looking for a substitute, there are some in the team already who could one day inherit the position. None of these players play for the first team, but they all are linked to the club one way or the other and could have a future at Camp Nou.

Nico González - 21 years old

Elche CF v Valencia CF - LaLiga Santander Photo by Aitor Alcalde Colomer/Getty Images

Nico currently plays for Valencia CF and is by far the most experienced player on the list. He’s not only debuted with Barcelona, but has scored a goal for them. He has had some problems during his loan, namely, an injury and a lack of consistent playing time. But he’s developed nonetheless and is expected to return and fight for a spot next season. While he is known for his passing ability, he has a bit more athleticism than your prototypical Busquets replacement. There is a question whether he will play as a central midfielder rather than a holding midfielder in the future.

Marc Casadó - 19 years old

Olot v FC Barcelona - Pre-Season Friendly Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images

Casadó is one of the captains of Barça Atlètic and is progressing well. He has already debuted with the first team, although he has not been given too many chances yet by Xavi. The hope is that he will change as he leaves his teen years behind. Again, Casadó is faster than your prototypical Busquets replacement. He does have good skills on the ball, but on the other hand, he does need to improve his passing to reach a similar elite status.

Gerard Hernández - 18 years old

FC Internazionale v FC Barcelona- UEFA Youth League Photo by Matteo Ciambelli/DeFodi Images via Getty Images

Hernández plays for the Juvenil A category and has trained with the first team, but is yet to debut with them. He probably needs at least one year of time with Barça Atlètic but there are reasons to be excited. His resemblance playing style-wise to Busquets is notable.

Pau Prim - 17 years old

Spain v Switzerland - U16 International Friendly Photo by Manuel Queimadelos/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Prim is a part of Juvenil B, though he has played for the A category. Some scouts really rate him, as he has a lot of skills at such a young age. Obviously needs a few more years to develop, but watch out.

Marc Bernal - 15 years old

While obviously too young to be ready, he has impressed the scouts and coaches of La Masia with his complete skillset. Bernal has everything you’d want at such a young age - even a good goalscoring touch, which is atypical for holding midfielders at Barcelona. His coaches will need to work with him for a while before he’s anywhere close to the first team, but that’s normal at his age.

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