Espart Catches Flick's Attention, Impresses with Barcelona

Chavi Espart, the young player from FC Barcelona, continues to attract the interest of Hans Flick, the Catalan team's head coach, as he has become one of the reliable options thanks to his ability to play in multiple positions.

According to Spanish newspaper "Mundo Deportivo," Espert, 19, started in both matches for Barcelona against Elche and Athletic Bilbao in the left-back position, playing the full 90 minutes in both games.

Although left-back is not his primary position, he has become accustomed to playing on both sides of defense, having first participated as a right-back before moving to the left side.

Esparza excels in midfield, having appeared in both central midfielder and defensive midfielder roles during the preparation period. He also finished the match against Athletic Bilbao in the midfield alongside Rodri during the final minutes.

Espart also excelled with the Spanish national team in the U19 European Championship, which the Spanish team won, participating in all matches of the tournament in midfield alongside Real Madrid's Thiago Pitarque.

Hansi Flick previously praised Chavi after his first appearance against Newcastle last season, saying: "When I see Chavi play, I really like how confident he is on the ball. He reminds me of Philipp Lahm, as he can play in the number 6 or number 2 position."

Following the win against Athletic Bilbao, Flick continued to praise the player, confirming that he was surprised by his level in the left-back position, saying: "I am very happy with what I see, in fact, I am a bit amazed by the way he plays in the left-back position, it is always a position."

Barcelona's coach stated: "He is a player with good quality, and in one-on-one defensive situations, he is top-notch. I am very happy with him; like all players, he has room for improvement."

In the match against Athletic Bilbao, Espart made his first appearance with Barcelona's first team wearing the number 12 shirt, delivering an impressive performance as he recovered the ball four times, created a scoring opportunity, and took a shot on goal.

Espart created a goal for Fermín López in the previous match against Elche, after providing him with the ball from which he scored Barcelona's fifth and final goal.

Despite having other options at left-back, such as Joao Cancelo and Alejandro Balde, Flick continues to rely on Espart, confirming the young player's strong presence in the German coach's plans.