Spain Under-21 boss Albert Celades has admitted that Gerard Deulofeu will find it “very difficult” to make the breakthrough at Barcelona.
Big things were expected of the forward at Camp Nou in 2014-15 after an eye-catching loan spell with Everton last season and the return of his former B mentor Luis Enrique as first-team Coach.
However, having been farmed out again to Sevilla, where he is struggling for game time, his international trainer has urged him to take stock of his future if he still wants to realise his potential.
“It’ll be very difficult for [Gerard] Deulofeu to succeed at Barcelona,” Celades, a former Barca midfielder, told Cadena SER.
“Not every player can succeed at Barcelona. Time will tell us how far Gerard Deulofeu goes in football.
“[The Spain Under-21s] are very happy with Gerard Deulofeu’s performances. He’s one of our captains and his integration into the team has been excellent.
“The qualities which Deulofeu has aren’t commonly found. It’s not been easy for him, given he hasn’t played much for Sevilla, but I understand the competition which exists at Sevilla.
“[Munir El Haddadi] is showing a lot of talent and quality and we’re very happy with him.
“When you watch [Sergi] Samper play, you can quickly identify where he comes from.”
