After a month since his signing was announcedJosue Caicedo has finally landed in Catalonia. The 18-year-old Ecuadorian full-back touched down a full month after Barcelona Atletic officially confirmed his signing, the delay caused by the bureaucratic problems that kept him from joining the reserve team’s training sessions. The reserve side wrapped up their pre-season camp last Sunday at the Vall d’en Bas ground in Girona.Barcelona Atletic announced the deal on 13 July, a loan with an option to buy worth 2.5 million euros from Ecuadorian club LDU Quito that could turn mandatory if a series of conditions are met. Red tape then scuppered his plans, stopping him from flying out of Ecuador and linking up with his new teammates on the scheduled date of 20 July.Caicedo wasted no time spelling out his ambitions on arrival at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport. “I am grateful to all the people here. I want to be a champion and stay here. My dream is to make my debut in the first division with Barcelona,” he said, laying bare his hunger despite his tender age.Physically and technically, the Ecuadorian has plenty to offer. He stands out for his attacking threat, his agility and his sharp reactions, qualities he shares with his favourite player at the club. As he told the media waiting for him in Barcelona: “My role model at Barcelona is Balde.”He also admitted he had not “been able to speak with Deco” yet, though he had kept himself “training” through the month of waiting, unable to join the reserves while the paperwork dragged on.Club FriendliesBaselBAS16 Aug 202622:30BarcelonaBARYoung he may be, but Caicedo already has senior experience behind him. He played 8 matches for LDU Quito’s first team, racking up 344 minutes, and the promising defender made his Copa Libertadores debut on 26 May against Bolivia’s Always Ready. That early continental exposure only adds to his stock.Barcelona rate the youngster highly. The club’s hierarchy know, though, that he will need time to bed in and adapt to the Catalan style before he can push for a first-team spot and chase down his dream of playing in the first division.
