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Everton FC's impressive handling of Gerard Deulofeu has put them in pole position to loan future Barcelona wonder-kids, says Jordi Cruyff.

The skilful winger did enough during his season-long Goodison spell to earn promotion to the first team squad at Camp Nou next term, and even receive his first international cap last month.

And Cruyff, whose father Johan famously transformed the Catalan club into one of the world’s biggest, reckons the Blues could now benefit from borrowing future rising Barca stars.

He said: “We will see how he gets on at Camp Nou but the fact Barca have taken him back is a big compliment to the player and the management team at Everton.

“Deulofeu came to a very different league and adapted to a different style of play.

“If he does well this season I’m sure Barca will see even further the benefits of loaning more players to Everton.”

Former Manchester United and Barcelona midfielder Cruyff, now sporting director of Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv, believes Deulofeu has built on his reputation during nine months under the tutelage of his friend Roberto Martinez.

But he insists the 20-year-old faces a tough task in securing regular first team football for Luis Enrique’s side in La Liga next season.

“Will he play a lot? You never know at Barcelona,” he said.

“It’s a club that is not only about talent, it’s about having strong shoulders to handle the pressure on you.

“It’s not just winning games either – it matters deeply how you win. It’s a special club – a really fantastic team but it can also be a difficult club to be successful at.

“Deulofeu has Barca in his blood, but it’s not easy. Good luck to him trying to get in that team with all the attacking players they have.”

Everton are likely to utilise the loan market again this summer, after Martinez engineered successful temporary deals for Gareth Barry, Romelu Lukaku and Deulofeu last year.

The Blues boss will hope to try and lure at least two of that trio back to Merseyside next season, however Cruyff believes Everton could eventually become victims of their own success in the loan market.

“It’s interesting because the more successful you are with loan players the more you grow,” he mused. “Then maybe the parent clubs will think, ‘Wait a minute these are our rivals. They’re in the same league so we better not loan them players’.

“Although you must also consider that other clubs can rely on their loan players not being allowed to play against them, and they know they will help (Everton) take points off other sides they’re fighting against. It can go two ways.”

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