According to a report by Barca Universal on Friday October 16, 2026, Barcelona have hired Getafe academy scout Javier Madrid to boost their recruitment network and spot young talents in Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha.

According to ESPN journalist Rodra, the 28-year-old will join the Catalan club’s scouting department after spending four years in charge of youth team recruitment at Getafe.

The new man has also coached in the academies of Rayo Vallecano and Getafe. Madrid’s arrival is seen as a boost for the Catalan club to increase their discoveries of young talents in territories where they are under pressure from Real Madrid and Atletico.

During his spell at Getafe, Madrid coached Thiago Pitarch and Mario Rivas, who are currently at Real Madrid. He also played a key role in the signing of David Sanchez Miralles by the Madrid outfit last summer, when the wily full-back was 12 years old.

Barcelona are continuing their La Masia recruitment drive as they look to improve their production of young stars. The Camp Nou outfit are looking to unearth talents beyond Catalonia to counter the Spanish giants’ domestic challengers.

Madrid’s appointment is the latest sign of Barcelona’s increasing interest in the Spanish capital and its surrounds. The Catalan club have already recruited Marcos Parriego from Rayo Vallecano, with Víctor Barbany and Byron Mendoza arriving from Leganes.

Madrid will operate under the guidance of Jon Andoni Goikoetxea, a former player who has spent six years in the Barcelona scouting system. The club believe their intensified recruitment efforts will allow them to spot young talents before their rivals’ academies.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid are also targeting young stars from the traditional Barca heartlands. The Spanish giants have signed Iker Doblas and Clifford Nana from Catalan academy CF Damm this year.

Both sides are continuing to ramp up their investment in scouting across each other’s territories. The Catalan and Madrid clubs’ intense rivalry looks set to continue as they battle to sign the best young Spanish talents before they come of age.