Barcelona have inserted ‘fear clause’ in youngster’s loan deal with La Liga rivals – report

Barcelona have got into the practice of adding a ‘fear clause’ to the contracts of players leaving on loan in recent seasons.

According to the clause, the player loaned out by Barcelona cannot face the Catalans in either La Liga or the Copa del Rey throughout the season. That was the case with both Nico Gonzalez and Ez Abde last season as they did not play against Xavi Hernandez’s side for Valencia and Osasuna respectively.

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Blaugranas have inserted the same clause in the loan agreement with Girona for youngster Pablo Torre.

The young midfielder completed his temporary switch to Montilivi yesterday, and as per the terms agreed, he will not be allowed to feature for Girona in any fixture against Barcelona next season.

The reason for including such a condition is understandable if one considers that the player is still contractually obligated to Barcelona. Playing against one’s mother club and posing a direct threat to their chances to win is a grey area.

At the same time, some consider it to defeat the very purpose of sending a player out on loan. After all, Barcelona are one of, if not the best team in Spain. Playing against a quality side with a relatively inferior setup would add a lot of experience under the loanee’s belt.

Nevertheless, Torre is expected to see significantly more game time than last season at his new club. After all, his quality has never been in doubt and his lack of minutes at Barcelona had more to do with the competition for places.

The 20-year-old’s loan spell at Montilivi runs until the summer of 2024. His move to Girona helped the champions reduce the Catalans’ asking price for Oriol Romeu, thus facilitating Barcelona’s signing of a new pivot.