Chelsea reignite interest in bargain Barcelona wonderkid

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 29 Apr 2024 16:27 BST
• 3 min read

Chelsea are seeking to take advantage of a cheap release clause to sign one of Barcelona’s most promising young players for just €10 million.

Pau Cubarsi has burst onto the scene with Barca over the course of the last month, catching the eye of the Blues and persuading the Premier League club that the teenager is worth pursuing on the transfer market.

Cubarsi, who turned 17 in January, was handed his debut by Xavi on 19 January in a Copa del Rey encounter against Unionistas de Salamanca. He would start subsequently in LaLiga against Real Betis and has been a fixture in the first-team squad since, making six appearances for the Camp Nou club.

Mundo Deportivo confirms that Chelsea are one of a number of Premier League outfits looking at the centre-back, who has impressed with his maturity. The Blues had reportedly moved for him unsuccessfully last summer.

Manchester City were previously revealed to have been monitoring the youngster, as well as fellow La Masia graduates Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde.

Barca desperate to renew Cubarsi's deal

Out of contract in 2026, he has a release clause of just €10m in his contract, making him a highly attractive target given this appears a bargain fee compared to his quality and potential.

In turn, this has sparked a scramble from Barcelona to renew the youngster’s deal. Indeed, Xavi’s side have made tying him down to a new contract one of their “priorities” for the squad-building process that is underway at Camp Nou.

Barca’s financial position is known to be wretched, and with the Catalan side in desperate need of two or three big sales in the summer, the emergence of Cubarsi could allow a figure like Ronald Araujo to be parted with more easily. The plan, though, is for both to remain together and play in tandem. The Catalans hope that they could be the starting partnership in as little as two years.

In any case, Barcelona certainly cannot afford for such a talent to depart for €10m – a figure that is already looking well below the teenager’s market value. Until a new contract is signed, though, they could be powerless to stop such a move.