Barcelona youngster Riqui Puig reportedly wants to stick it out at the club and continue to fight for a breakthrough rather than go out on loan.
The 20-year-old is widely regarded as one of the biggest talents to have recently come out of the club’s youth system, as he has previously impressed for the B team.
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However, he has been limited to just three outings for the senior side so far this season, totalling just over 90 minutes of playing time.
For a young player of his quality, he undoubtedly needs regular playing time to gain experience and to develop his game, but ultimately it looks as though that could be difficult at Barcelona given the fierce competition for places in the squad under coach Quique Setien.
In turn, a loan exit could perhaps make sense. However, Mundo Deportivo report that amid speculation linking him with a loan move to Real Betis, Puig wants to stay at Barcelona and has no intention of leaving on loan as his priority remains making a breakthrough in the first team.
Time will tell how the situation plays out, as ultimately it’s easy to see where he’s coming from with that touted preference, as a loan exit could ultimately run the risk of him eventually leaving permanently if there is still no opening for him at the Nou Camp.
That said, if he were to impress at Betis by proving himself in La Liga and consistently delivered on the pitch, it could prove a point to Barcelona that he’s ready to be given a bigger role.
With that in mind, much will depend on whether or not the two parties are on the same page and if Puig will eventually come round to the idea of going out on loan or risk further frustration.