DonAndres
Wild Man of Borneo
Do you expect him to become the captain if there is a voting regime?
I can see Bartra(I see him becoming a WC CB in the future and staying for a very long time) coming out on top if it goes down to voting and he himself is quite young as well. You are right about that if he does well and stays many years then he will be viewed as a core member of the team and that some of the other players might not have the profile of a captain, but I honestly doubt that will stop them from becoming so and I hardly see the manager influencing the choices for the captaincy that much either to be honest.
So can he become the captain in the future? Yes, of course he can, but will he? I doubt it.
Well the voting thing is a bit hard to make judgement on since it hasn't been done yet. Hell right now given the way the players act to the media, I fully expect them to elect Messi or Iniesta as captain . The only figure I currently see as having a captain profile is Mascherano but he's going to be a backup so I don't see it happening. I'll bet that it's Iniesta even though he doesn't fit the role.
Bartra is a possibility but he certainly doesn't show it now. If the club gets a proper CB then it's likely that he won't even be a starter for a while whereas MATS only really has to "compete" with Bravo. Bartra loves the club but is more emotional than commanding. He never showed leadership even in his years at Barca B. Even in the case where he does break into the team as a starter, he'll be the 'understudy' of Pique and won't have any real character influence on those around him for a while. Both he and MATS are in a similar situation (being beneath everyone in terms of seniority currently) but MATS has a much faster route to the top than Bartra does.
If MATS is the #1 from the start, his influence on the pitch will be a lot bigger even early on given how he prioritizes organizing his defense and instructing the outfield players near him. In no time he'll have so much responsibility on the team and influence on his players (both midfield and defense) unlike Bartra who is still being nurtured. He'll have to control his high line, regroup his defensive structure after conceding attacks, and control the entire team on set pieces. This'll accelerate his rise to importance in the dressing room as he has to be in constant communication and giving orders. On a personal level he already has a knack of being a "leader figure", shown by how quickly he became one for BM despite being 19/20 years old at the time. That doesn't ensure that he'll become popular enough to win those "votes" but in due time he'll be looked up to.
Look how he barks orders at his defense Kahn-style, this was in 11/12 when he was 19 years old. After learning the language and getting acclimatized here, he'll have that type of authority. It'll take some years for him to become more respected and 'in charge' in the eyes of the entire team but I think that if he can be convincing enough they'll recognize that he's a true leader.