The midfielder is currently on international duty at the European Under-19 Championship with Spain, where he opened his account for La Rojita with a goal and an assist on his debut against Wales.
Barcelona were unable to reach an agreement to renew Junyent's contract with Barça Atlètic, and Almería moved quickly to take advantage. The club's sporting management sealed the deal last January, allowing the midfielder to arrive as a free agent this summer.
Betting on young talent remains one of the defining traits of the Almería project. The club's philosophy centres on signing players with strong potential, giving them the chance to develop in professional football and helping them make the leap to the elite, as has already happened with Darwin Núñez, Umar Sadiq and Marc Pubill, and it looks set to happen soon with Sergio Arribas.
With the deal completed at no cost, the risk involved is even smaller. Junyent gave his word to Almería months ago, regardless of whether the club would be competing in Primera or Segunda Division. He will now make his Almería debut in the second tier, after the club fell agonisingly short of an immediate return to LaLiga, losing to Málaga in the promotion play-off final.
Almería head into the new season under new ownership and new management. Saudi investment group SMC, chaired by Mohammed Al-Khereiji, took control of the club last year, while Cristiano Ronaldo acquired a 25 per cent stake through CR7 Sports Investments in February. Xavi García Pimienta has since been appointed head coach to lead the club's renewed promotion push.
Jan Virgili came close
This is not the first time Almería have tried to fish from La Masía. Last summer, the club came close to signing Jan Virgili, as Rubi acknowledged in an interview with MARCA, though the winger ultimately opted for Mallorca.
This time, the Almería club have succeeded in landing one of the great jewels of the Barcelona academy, with Junyent even serving as captain of the Spain Under-19 side. The midfielder is tied to Almería on a long-term contract running until June 2032, in a clear statement of intent from the club regarding one of Spanish football's brightest young talents.