FC Barcelona and Juan Ignacio Marcos, better known in the basketball world as Juani Marcos, have reached an agreement in principle for the return of the Argentinian point guard to the Barça setup. The 1.90m tall guard, who turns 25 this coming 6 July, will soon sign a two-season contract, running until June 2027. This agreement in principle is subject to a medical examination and comes after the activation of the buyout clause that linked him to Bàsquet Girona.

The Argentinian international, originally from Rosario and also holding Italian nationality, will return to the club where he trained for two seasons with Barça Atlètic. He also spent three seasons on loan away from the Palau, always under the club’s close supervision and with the long-term goal of reaching the Barça first team. During his five-year spell (2019–2024), and also over this past season, he has been closely monitored, and his growth and development have been significant. First in Lleida and then in Girona, he has matured as a professional player. Now, the time has come for him to demonstrate his quality and court vision on the floor of the Palau Blaugrana.

Arrival in 2019

He originally arrived from Club Atlético Peñarol (Mar del Plata). The previous season, 2018/19, he had already debuted in Argentina’s top league, the Liga Nacional, averaging 6.8 points, 2 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game.

Marcos arrived at Barça after standing out at the U19 World Cup, where he was the second-highest scorer for the Argentinian team, with 10.4 points per game, just behind Leandro Bolmaro. Over his two seasons with Barça Atlètic, he played 54 games in LEB Plata, averaging 9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.

Developed on loan

To ensure his progression was not hindered, the club arranged a two-season loan with Força Lleida. Marcos made the jump from LEB Plata to LEB Oro and continued his development, playing a total of 63 games and averaging 11.3 points and 3.2 assists per game.

In July 2023, a new loan move was confirmed, this time to Bàsquet Girona. Over two seasons at Fontajau, playing in the Liga Endesa, Marcos averaged 8.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and a performance index rating of 9.5 in 22 minutes per game.

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