One could easily say that since Messi no player but Bojan has looked to really be ready for promotion at this age either, though. Fact is that between Gomes, Arda, and Denis none offer anything Alena doesn't and that's basically every midfield backup we have. And this is with Rafinha being hot and cold whenever not injured, Iniesta aging badly and Rakitic not exactly being world class. In fact, I'd go as far as to say we need Alena to be promoted next season.
The worst thing you can do is to promote player based on need rather than quality. Alena isn't ready and he is a talent. Promoting him in wrong time is bad for his own too.
He is far from savior either, all what he shows with 1st team is some confidence and not being afraid to be there. non or very few flashes of brilliance or anything which is understandable at this stage of his development.
Simple as it is you promote him and you are risking a talent for almost zero gain. Why? just because of the whole La Masia fetish people have. The club has done the right thing protecting him.
Bojan,GDS,Munir,Sandro was all rushed into 1st team so young. It helped non of them to develop. Thiago was left to develop further when he showed same type of level as Alena,and he is probably a superior talent than him.
This doesn't mean I am with Gomes signing, but take Alena out of the equation/question here. He isn't by any mean part of it.
We don't need to promote Alena, with him we need to think for the best of his development. And he is probably one year away from being at the level of promotion