Becoming An Important Barca Player, How Will Ruqui Puig's Fate Be Next Season?

Riqui Puig (INstagram @riquipuig)

JAKARTA - Riqui Puig is one of the Barcelona players who stood out in Los Blaugarana's last match in La Liga. The 20-year-old scored twice at Mendizorroza.

The midfielder is one of the beneficiaries of the postponement of the 2019-20 La Liga season. The reason is, he is now a strong contender to start in the Champions League which will start next August.

Barcelona decided on Monday that neither Puig nor Ansu Fati would rejoin Barcelona B in the play-off at Segunda B. The two youngsters will remain with the first team, although it is unclear where Puig will play next season.

Coach Quique Setien is very pleased with Puig's performance, but the final decision regarding his fate will not be made until the end of the season.

Puig has played 12 games for Barcelona's first team this season - all under Setien. Puig's ten matches were played following the return of the league after a three-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hurricane of injuries to the players in Puig's position has shown the Spanish-born man an important role in the Barca squad in recent matches. He made five appearances as a starter in Barca's last six matches in La Liga.

History maker

The two assists made by Riqui Puig against Alaves, one for Lionel Messi and one for Nelson Semedo, got him into the history books of Barcelona.

At 20 years and 341 days of age, he became the youngest player to assist in two league games for a Catalan club since Thiago Alcantara. The midfielder, who is now in the Bayern Munich uniform, did so in 2011 at the age of 20 years and 140 days.

This is the latest bit of evidence to suggest that Puig will remain in Los Blaugarana's first team. At least for now.

It has not been decided whether Puig will stay with the first team or not next season as the club wants him to mature and get enough playing time. Barcelona realizes that Puig has a bright future.