Versatile teenager Xavi Espart earns Barcelona first-team promotion after impressing Flick

Barcelona have promoted academy defender Xavi Espart to the first team, with the 19-year-old earning the step up after impressing head coach Hansi Flick and sporting director Deco during pre-season, according to Mundo Deportivo. Espart will now wear the No. 12 shirt in La Liga, upgrading from the No. 36 he wore on his competitive debut.

Espart had already made his mark before the promotion was confirmed, starting Barcelona’s opening La Liga fixture against Elche at left-back as the reigning champions ran out 5-0 winners. That appearance underlined the confidence Flick and the club’s sporting management had already placed in the teenager.

The key factor behind the decision is Espart’s positional flexibility. The defender is capable of operating at right-back, left-back, defensive midfield, and central midfield — a range that gives Flick a genuinely versatile option across multiple areas of the pitch. That adaptability, combined with what the club describes as his professionalism, has been central to his rapid rise through the ranks.

His switch to the No. 12 shirt is a formal recognition of the impression he made throughout pre-season and signals Barcelona’s belief that Espart is ready to contribute at the highest level as he begins his first-team career.