A couple of days ago, the Belgian and Italian press were reporting the arrival of Juwensley Onstein (2007, 18 years old, 1.88 meters tall) to Milan. The ‘Rossoneri’ were determined to incorporate him into Milan Futuro (their Serie D side) with a view to a move to the first team defense (he is a central defender) in the near future. However, as Matteo Moretto reported in MARCA, Barcelona have now overtaken any rival.
Born in Arnhem and a Netherlands U18 international but of Surinamese descent, Onstein has gone from being a national prospect with a good press in the Benelux to having his name appear in sports media around the world.
And the question is: Who is Juwensley Onstein? Ajax snapped him up from Vitesse in 2019 and after four years in the ‘Ajacied’ academy, Genk, one of the best youth academies in Belgium, snapped him up. In 2023-24 he made his debut with Jong Genk (the ‘B’ team) in the Belgian Second Division, while in 2024-25 he took a step forward playing 16 games. “He has demonstrated excellent physical condition and exceptional vision, qualities that make him one of the best defenders of his generation,” wrote Johan Walckiers in ‘Voetbalkrant’. This season, however, he alternated injuries with absences and has not played yet.
He has demonstrated excellent physical condition and exceptional vision
The left-sided centre-back arrived in Belgium at the age of just 16, signing a three-year professional contract with Genk. “Juwensley stands out as a central defender for his speed and physical presence, combined with technical experience and good ball control. He is not afraid to penetrate and play with space from the back. In short, he is a modern central defender who fits perfectly with Genk’s footballing vision,” said Jong Genk’s technical coordinator Stijn Haeldermans at the time.
Juwensley stands out as a central defender for his speed and physical presence, combined with technical experience and good ball control
It was Michel Ribeiro, Genk’s technical coach, who convinced him to choose this project after his departure from Ajax. “I’m a real winner,” Onstein said. And it was Genk’s option of combining youth football with professional football (second division) that attracted him to the project
Now Barcelona is knocking on his door, and he has opened it. “The agreement is close and the player’s desire has been key: he only wants to wear the Blaugrana shirt,” confirms Moretto in MARCA.
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