Barcelona’s latest La Masia product Ilias Akhomach could have ended up at Real Madrid according to his agent.
Akhomach joins a growing list of academy products coming through the ranks with his 45 minute appearance against Vicente Moreno’s side his first ever senior appearance.
However, despite joining Nico Gonzalez, Gavi, Ansu Fati, and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli on the conveyor belt into the first team, it could have been very different for the 17-year-old.
Akhomach controversially left the Barcelona academy set up in 2013, but he returned four years later.
“It didn’t make sense that Ilias was dismissed when he was a child, in life we all make mistakes”, his agent Horacio Gaggioli told an interview with SER Catalunya, reported via Diario AS.
I saw him play at Gimnàstic de Manresa and I thought ‘how is it possible?
“Real Madrid wanted to take Ilias, and there were also other European teams interested, but he chose to return to Barca as he loves the club.”
Akhomach is expected to play a role for Xavi in the coming weeks with the former midfielder set to bring more players from La Masia into his plans.
Fellow academy product Ezzalzouli replaced Akhomach at half time against Espanyol and the pair are expected to be involved again at Villarreal this weekend.
Images via Getty Images
