The summer transfer window for 2024 is almost here on June 14, and clubs are already releasing players. 

Before we start jumping on the trend of who's in and out for FC Barcelona, it's crucial to reflect on what's worked in the past and what hasn't for the blaugrana in identifying raw talent for the club.

When Neymar departed in 2017 in a shocking move to Paris, Barcelona were swimming in money like Scrooge McDuck, and the management headed by president Josep Maria Bartomeu thought they could spend their way to greatness.

They decided to experiment with the Florentino Perez strategy of stocking the squad with already established players, and there comes the doom and gloom! 

The dud of the duds, Ousmane Dembele, arrived a few weeks from Borussia Dortmund for 135 million euros but spent most of his contracted term on a hospital bed.

Philipe Coutinho arrived in 2018 from Liverpool at a fee of 135 million euros—another fiasco that spent most of his contracted years on loan, wandering from club to club. 

Antoine Griezmann joined for 120 million euros and then left two seasons later. 

Barcelona lost their way in the era of big spending. So much wealth with very little to show for it.

Barcelona, before this experiment, was the envy of the football world because of its ability to nurture talent. The club's golden era wasn't some product of transfer windows, but the academy known as La Masia. Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Busquets, Pedro, and on and on the list goes.

However, since the departure of Josep Bartomeu, the man that most Culers feel walked Barça into the current economic topsy-turvy, one interesting and promising pattern has emerged.

Every season, we witness the emergence of a wonderkid from the academy. 

First, there was excitement around Riqui Puig and Ansu Fati, the new kids on the block. They began to grow and shoot forth as young talents from the academy, but unfortunately, they couldn't fully sprout into manhood.

Perhaps because of a lack of physical qualities, Riqui fell out of favor when Xavi came to town. Ansu Fati became clamped with long-term injuries, and Xavi never really gave him a chance to prove himself. 

Still, there was evidence here that the path forward was with the academy, or in the case of Pedri, smart scouting.

Pedri was tagged as the next Andrés Iniesta immediately the Blaugrana hashed out a deal with then-Segunda side Las Palmas in late 2019 to land the silky midfielder for an initial $5 million, a significant sum for a 16-year-old with little first-team experience.

Like Ansu, Pedri was given too much responsibility and too many minutes, far too quickly. Nonetheless, Xavi already made it clear he was building a project for the future, and for all the disappointment on the field, it was hard not to feel optimistic, especially for a coach who's a legend of the club.

Then came Pablo Gavira, better known as Gavi, simply out of nowhere. 

Who's this human pitbull of a kid who latched onto the opportunity and refused to let go?

A Barcelona midfield prodigy, capturing the attention of football enthusiasts and experts worldwide. 

Sadly, once again this season, Barcelona's heart grimaced in pain after Gavi tore his anterior cruciate ligament while on international duty. 

The 19-year-old underwent surgery and missed the rest of the season.

And so, with Lamine Yamal, we seem to have been rescued from despair and our hope restored. But we have to hold our collective breath as the 16-year-old heads into the Euros, with a big role to play for Luis de la Fuente.

We're saying goodbye to this season with nothing to show, except perhaps the shimmer, pace, and panache with each passing game for the young Lamine.

Lamine didn't catch us unaware when he got his chance the way Gavi did. The majority of us knew who he was and waited for his debut with the utmost anticipation.

Lamine was easily identified and predicted to make an era, but no one knew just how fast he would mature. Whether he could rub shoulders with the grown men of La Liga was yet to be fully determined. 

Being a winger at the senior level requires adaptation. Yeah, we're highly fascinated by his academy's dizzying dribbles. 

But we weren't expecting him to replicate such drive so soon on the first team, considering the speed of the game can be overwhelming and you're up against the world's renowned defenders.

Of course, Lamine isn't the strongest or even fastest player on the field. But his instincts for the game are second to none.

And so, with each passing game, he got better and better. And it didn’t take long to see why he was rated so highly at such a young age.

Looking at Lamine, you see a youngling with great technical ability, inviting ball control, and boldness.

He is comfortable with the ball played into his feet, whether in build-up or more attacking areas, while he also has the ability to apply the finish to a swift break.

When he has the ball, he looks around to see where his teammates are and what the other team is doing. This helps him make smart decisions and work well with his team. 

It's impressive how well he does all of this, barely with an ounce of fat or muscle on him, especially considering how young he is. 

Facts and football enthusiasts pick him as the most important attacking player on the team this season, having turned in a handful of match-winning performances and playing himself into a starting spot for Spain at Euro 2024 despite being just 16.

La Masia has produced its newest gem, and those Lionel Messi comparisons are unlikely to go away any time soon.

Protect Lamine Yamal Barcelona

Lamine Yamal is the 7th Barça player with the most minutes in the 2023–24 season. The teenager featured in 36 matches, started in 21 of those 36, and covered 2,140 minutes in all competitions.

And if he plays in the last La Liga match against Sevilla, it'll be 37 this season for the 16-year-old. 

There's also the Euro tournament coming in the next few weeks, and hopefully he's spared some games to avoid overuse in his early years, which could prevent him from reaching his full potential.

The future is right in front of us. The newest prodigy of La Masia is just getting started, and he will be a joy to watch for years to come.