Brian Farinas: From Exit List to Barcelona's Future

Brian Farinas was almost out the door. Now he might be part of Barcelona’s future.

A few weeks ago, the 20-year-old midfielder looked set to swap La Masia for Estadi Montilivi, with Girona ready to bet on him. The deal was well defined: around €1.5 million for 50% of his economic rights, a low-risk move for the relegated side and a clean solution for Barça.

Then Frenkie de Jong went down at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and everything changed.

From exit list to opportunity

According to journalist Matteo Moretto, Barcelona have now decided to keep Farinas this summer and are already working with his camp on a contract renewal. The plan to send him to Girona on a permanent basis has been shelved.

Farinas, who captained Barça Atletic at times last season, had been edging closer and closer to that move earlier in the window. Girona, rebuilding after dropping out of La Liga, saw in him a technically sharp midfielder with room to grow and were prepared to pay to share his rights with the league champions.

Instead, De Jong’s injury forced Hansi Flick to rethink his midfield options. Once it became clear the Netherlands international would be out for an extended spell, the new Barça coach chose to keep Farinas in-house and put him under the microscope in pre-season.

The youngster responded. Flick kept giving him minutes, and Farinas used them well. His performances over the summer impressed the German enough to alter the internal pecking order.

So much so that Barcelona have now opted to retain Farinas and are ready to let Tommy Marques leave, despite Marques making his first-team debut last season.

La Masia product backed to stay

Farinas is not a new face at the club. He has been at La Masia for eight years, arriving from Villarreal in 2018 and climbing steadily through the youth ranks to Barça Atletic.

His current contract runs until 2028, but with the decision made to keep him, the club and his representatives are already working on an improved deal. The message is clear: he is no longer a disposable asset.

Last season, Farinas produced five goals and seven assists in 33 appearances for Barça Atletic, numbers that underline his influence at reserve level and hint at why Flick wants a closer look.

A month ago, he was a saleable prospect. Today, he is a midfielder staying to fight for a place in a Barcelona squad suddenly short on control and legs in the middle of the pitch.