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Barcelona: 5 wonderkids who failed to make it with the Catalans

By Bence Bocsak

BARCELONA, SPAIN - MARCH 17: Bojan Krkic of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal shortly after coming on as a subsitute during the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen second leg match between FC Barcelona and VfB Stuttgart at the Camp Nou stadium on March 17, 2010 in Barcelona, Spain. Barceloina won the match 4-0. (Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MARCH 17: Bojan Krkic of FC Barcelona celebrates scoring his sides fourth goal shortly after coming on as a subsitute during the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen second leg match between FC Barcelona and VfB Stuttgart at the Camp Nou stadium on March 17, 2010 in Barcelona, Spain. Barceloina won the match 4-0. (Photo by Jasper Juinen/Getty Images) /
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YOKOHAMA, JAPAN – AUGUST 07: Giovani Dos Santos of Barcelona in action during the friendly match between Yokohama Marinos and Barcelona at Nissan Stadium on August 7, 2007 in Yokohama, Japan. (Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN – AUGUST 07: Giovani Dos Santos of Barcelona in action during the friendly match between Yokohama Marinos and Barcelona at Nissan Stadium on August 7, 2007 in Yokohama, Japan. (Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images) /

2. Giovani Dos Santos

Position: Forward

Current Club: America

The Mexican forward was once tipped to be the next Lionel Messi after some spectacular and eye-catching performances for Barcelona B which quickly earned him a call up to Barcelona’s first team. Spectacularly he scored in a friendly game during the summer of 2006 for Barcelona’s first team as a mere 17-year-old against AGF Aarhus.

Almost a year later at 18 years of age and 114 days Dos Santos made his competitive debut for Barcelona against Athletic Bilbao. The Mexican forward impressed during a string of first team appearances which would ensue including a hat-trick against Real Murcia.

Many at the Catalans tipped Dos Santos to go all the way and he was valued as one of the brightest prospects at the club, however the Mexican forward was desperate for more first team chances and yearned for the chance to play regularly for the side. Barcelona could not make such promises and Tottenham Hotspur of England swooped in to lure Dos Santos to England.

Dos Santos’ move would signal a horrible downward spiral for the Mexican forward. He had a wretched time at Spurs and failed to make an impact and to manage regular playing time. Dos Santos would end up going on loan spells to Ipswich Town, Galatasaray and Racing Santander before leaving the English side permanently for Mallorca.

Since then Dos Santos has featured with some success at Villareal and La Galaxy before moving back to his native Mexico and signing for America.

Despite his success at club level, Dos Santos has been a great servant for his country at international level making over one hundred caps and scoring nineteen times. He was also a major part of the team which secured the gold medal in the 2012 Olympics in London.

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