International breaks are always a good time to review the status and development of players loaned by FC Barcelona to other teams.
This is one of the seasons in which the Azulgrana has more players on loan. A total of nine if we count those who left as Barça Atlètic players (Chadi Riad, Estanis Pedrola and Álex Valle), but if they return and manage to stay, it will be as members of the first team.
This is our analysis of the loan players:
Ansu Fati (Brighton)
Ansu Fati's arrival in the Premier League has not been easy. It was a very tricky decision to make, the loan exit of the Guinea-Bissau forward, but there was unanimous agreement that he was going to a team that could fit him like a glove, with a coach, Roberto de Zerbi, who bets on youth and makes the most of the players he has.
The truth is that Ansu has not yet been a starter in the Premier League, although he has participated in the last four games, including the visit to Villa Park, where he scored his only goal so far, marred by the defeat against Unai Emery's team (6-1).
In the Europa League, he played against AEK Athens (2-3 home defeat) and in Marseille (2-2 draw).
Pablo Torre(Girona)
MINUTES 364 - GAMES 10 - GOALS 1 - ASSISTS 0
It has not easy for Pablo Torre to find his place either. He chose Girona convinced that it was the best option because of Míchel Sánchez's proposal. The Girona team is having a great season, at the top of the standings, but the player from Soto de la Marina has less participation than expected.
One of the reasons has been the emergence of the Brazilian Savinho, who plays in the same position on the left wing and who is in a great moment of form. Pablo has played in 7 of the 9 league games, but none of them as a starter or for more than 30 minutes.
Eric Garcia (Girona)
MINUTES 115 - GAMES 7 - GOALS 0 - ASSISTS 0
The opposite happened to the player from Martorell, who has found in Montilivi the minutes and the confidence he needed so much. He was only a substitute in the first game; in the following ones, he was a starter and undisputed in the Girona backline.
Eric is proving to be a very safe bet and Míchel values his good ball distribution. In attack, he scored a goal, the one he notched against Villarreal at La Cerámica for a 2-1 win.
Lenglet (Aston Villa)
MINUTES 478 - GAMES 7 - GOALS 1- ASSISTS 0
The Frenchman had a fairly positive loan spell last season at Tottenham, but with Aston Villa his participation has been reduced to the third-rate European competition, the Conference League. In the Premier League, Unai Emery has not even given him the opportunity to debut a single minute, as in the left center-back slot, former Villarreal man Pau Torres has been strong.
In Europe, Emery usually changes the team and that is where Clément has been able to play the two full matches: the defeat in Warsaw against Legia (3-2), a match in which he suffered quite a lot alongside Ezri Konsa, and the home win against Zrnisjski Mostar (1-0).
Julián Araujo (UD Las Palmas)
MINUTES 180 - GAMES 2 - GOALS 0 - ASSISTS 0
Julián Araujo could not play with Barça because of a fax that arrived 18 seconds late. He trained with Barça Atlètic, played some friendly matches, went on tour and it was time to make a decision that has proved to be the right one.
The Californian has all the confidence of the former coach of the Azulgrana youth team, Garcia Pimienta, which means a good fit for the similarity in the styles of play. Araujo shows his most offensive side, but also more and more maturity and assimilation in defensive concepts.
Araujo suffered a muscle injury half an hour into the match against Celta and did not play in Villarreal, but is expected to be recovered for the next match against Rayo Vallecano at the Gran Canaria Stadium.
Sergiño Dest(PSV)
MINUTES 501 - GAMES 7 - GOALS 0 - ASSISTS 0
The case of Sergiño Dest draws attention, because he is not only a starter in an important team like PSV Eindhoven, but in some games he is playing, and with good performances, not only in his natural position of right back, but also on the left side. This has been the case in the Champions League play-off matches against Rangers and so far in the group stage.
The player from Miami seems happy on his return to the Netherlands - when he signed for Barça, he came from Ajax - and with a coach, like Peter Bosz, who likes his teams to be fast and have the ball.
Given the situation, it would not be surprising if PSV decided to sign him at the end of the season by paying an option to buy him for around 10 million euros.