According to Barca Universal on Friday, October 16, 2026, Barcelona have appointed Getafe academy scout Javier Madrid to strengthen their youth recruitment network, with a particular focus on identifying promising talents in Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha.

ESPN journalist Rodra reports that the 28-year-old will join Barcelona’s scouting department after spending four years overseeing recruitment for Getafe’s youth teams.

Madrid also has coaching experience with the academies of Rayo Vallecano and Getafe. His arrival is expected to boost Barcelona’s efforts to discover talented youngsters in regions where they face strong competition from Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.

During his time at Getafe, Madrid coached Thiago Pitarch and Mario Rivas, who are now part of Real Madrid’s setup. He also played a role in securing the signing of David Sanchez Miralles last summer when the highly rated youngster was just 12 years old.

Barcelona continue to strengthen their La Masia recruitment strategy as they look beyond Catalonia for emerging talents capable of improving their youth teams. The club are keen to compete with their domestic rivals in securing some of Spain’s most promising prospects.

Madrid’s appointment highlights Barcelona’s growing interest in the Spanish capital and its surrounding areas. The Catalan club have previously recruited Marcos Parriego from Rayo Vallecano, as well as Víctor Barbany and Byron Mendoza from Leganes.

He will work alongside Jon Andoni Goikoetxea, a former footballer who has spent six years working within Barcelona’s scouting structure. The club hope the expanded network will help them identify talented youngsters before rival academies can secure their services.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are also targeting young players in Barcelona’s traditional recruitment territory. The Spanish giants have signed Iker Doblas and Clifford Nana from Catalan academy CF Damm this year.

Both clubs are increasingly expanding their scouting operations into each other’s regions, highlighting the growing battle to recruit Spain’s brightest young talents before they establish themselves in professional football.