Dani Olmo, the Talent That Hasn't Taken Off

Dani Olmo has yet to take off at Barcelona. Since joining the club in August 2024, his name has frequently appeared on medical reports. The latest was this Monday, confirming that the player, who was with the Spanish national team for World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria, "has a muscle injury in the left leg's soleus without connective involvement." Another setback that will sideline him for two to three weeks, causing him to miss several matches between La Liga and the Champions League.

His signing for Barcelona was seen as the return of the prodigal son. Trained at La Masia and having become a star at RB Leipzig, the midfielder returned home with the mission to lead a new era. Barcelona fans celebrated his return as the reinforcement of a different player: creative, intelligent, and with a competitive instinct that perfectly fit the club's philosophy, especially under a coach like Hansi Flick. However, a year later, the reality is quite different. He has played only 39.7% of the minutes since donning the Barcelona jersey (2,502 out of 6,300 minutes).

A series of misfortunes, such as registration issues in La Liga and a worrying succession of muscle injuries, have turned him into a fragile player. Last season, he suffered three injuries that sidelined him for over 80 days. In fact, out of the 60 matches Barcelona played (38 in La Liga, 14 in the Champions League, six in the Copa del Rey, and two in the Supercopa), Dani Olmo only played 39 (25 in La Liga, nine in the Champions League, four in the Copa del Rey, and one in the Supercopa), 22 of them as a starter. This year, things are not much different, even though only ten matches have been played. The player has participated in all ten matches the team has played (eight in La Liga and two in the Champions League), but he has only started in five (569 minutes out of 900 possible).

The first obstacle Dani Olmo encountered was before making his official debut. Barcelona, constrained by La Liga's salary limits, failed to register him in time for the start of the 2024-25 season. Although the club had secured his signing for over 60 million euros, the organization led by Javier Tebas blocked his registration due to financial fair play.

For several weeks, the player trained with the group but could not participate in competitive matches. Barça had to activate one of its famous economic levers to register his contract. In total, Olmo missed the first three La Liga matches and the Champions League debut, which completely halted his integration into the team's dynamics.

Once registered, Olmo debuted in mid-September with an exciting performance. His technical quality, game reading, and chemistry with Gavi and Pedri in midfield suggested that Barça had regained a player with the club's DNA. But the enthusiasm was short-lived. Just a week later, in a match against Girona on September 16, 2024, Olmo suffered a muscle injury in the right biceps femoris. The medical report indicated a grade II injury and a four to five-week absence. That break came at the worst possible time. The player had barely had continuity, and just as he was starting to feel important, his body said enough. He missed several key matches and returned with the feeling of starting over.

After his return in October, Olmo tried to regain his rhythm, but in January 2025, problems resurfaced. This time it was a strain in the right leg's soleus, keeping him inactive for about 19 days. Although it wasn't a serious injury, he again lost continuity and match rhythm. On March 27, 2025, in a match against Osasuna, he suffered a new myofascial injury in the right adductor. Three weeks out and another psychological blow. In just seven months, he had already suffered three muscle injuries.

This year seemed to have started on a better note, free from injuries, but this latest one will keep him out for almost a month. Adding the matches he missed due to the registration delay, the tally dangerously approaches 30 official matches missed in just fourteen months. With this new absence, Dani Olmo will have accumulated nearly 100 days out due to injuries since joining Barça, with at least four confirmed muscle problems. To many Barcelona fans, Dani Olmo remains a diamond made of glass: beautiful, valuable, but too fragile not to break.