This season, we should see a step forward from Pablo Barrios after two seasons in the first team. The Atlético de Madrid youth player made his debut at the end of 2022 at a time when Atlético de Madrid were reaping very poor results. Last season, he was already a regular part of Simeone 's plans, being chosen to replace Koke after his injury.
Now, he has returned to training in Majadahonda after winning the gold medal at the ParisOlympic Games . On the other hand, he can expect some great news in the coming days, as Robin Le Normand has inherited his number. In this way, Pablo Barrios could carry on his back one of the most important numbers in the history of the red and white team.
The year of Pablo Barrios
Most Atlético de Madrid fans are very excited about their youth squad, one of the biggest projects in European football. Pablo Barrios began to steal the spotlight after a great display in a Youth League tie against Real Madrid . The midfielder scored a double to give his team qualification under the watchful eye of Fernando Torres .
Less than a year later, Simeone gave him the chance to make his debut with the first team and become a regular in the squad. At that time, the player chose the number 24 after leaving the youth teams, something that will have to change. This number has been chosen by RobinLe Normand for this season , making it clear that the youth player will wear another number.
Everything points to Pablo Barrios choosing the same shirt he wore for Atlético Madrid's reserve team and one with a long history at Atlético de Madrid. It is the number 8, which was recently worn by Saúl Ñíguez and, just before, by Antoine Griezmann . However, Luis Aragonés is the club's most important player who has been able to wear this number.
A season with a lot of competition
Simeone will have a large number of players in the centre of the field, some of them very versatile. A priori, Pablo Barrios still has to earn his place as a starter through hard work, but his summer has been more than positive. He was one of the undisputed starters in the Spanish team that managed to win the gold medal at the ParisOlympic Games .
In addition, something very important to keep in mind is that he acted as a pivot, a position that Koke usually occupies at the Metropolitano . In this way, the rojiblanco youth player could become the natural successor of the captain in a position in which there are no more players. On the other hand, he can also act as one of the two interiors, although the competition there will be even greater while waiting to close another signing.