Barcelona in advanced negotiations with MLS club for 20-year-old defensive talent

FC Barcelona’s sports management is immersed in a whirlwind of activity, diligently crafting a formidable roster not only for the first team but also for their subsidiary outfit.

In order to do the same, The Athletic has reported that the Blagrana are currently in advanced talks to close the signing of Mamadou Fall, who happens to be a 20-year-old Senegalese defender, plying his trade for Los Angeles FC in the Major League Soccer (MLS). 

How the deal is going to be?

The 20-year-old centre-back is not alien to Spanish football altogether as his previous season was marked by a loan stint with the reserve team of Villarreal, during which he garnered an impressive track record of 25 appearances and three goals in the Second Division.

As things stand, according to the aforementioned source, Barcelona stand on the cusp of reaching an agreement with the MLS outfit.

Details of the arrangement are nearing their final stages, outlining a season-long loan arrangement containing a potential purchase option valuated at approximately €2 million.

Were there any other suitors?

There were, indeed. Villarreal’s courting of the player earlier in the window had progressed significantly, but the late intervention of Barcelona looms as a near-decisive factor, poised to thwart their advances.

At the heart of this evolving narrative stands a resolute player who exhibits a palpable willingness to embrace the iconic Barcelona jersey.

Furthermore, after what happened with Tudor Mendel-Idowu and Anderlecht earlier in the transfer window, the Blaugrana are approaching this transfer very cautiously.

The narrative’s current trajectory vests the decision-making power within LAFC, presenting them with the choice of which offer to accept (Barcelona’s or Villarreal’s) for a player poised to elevate the quality of Rafa Marquez’s squad and possibly break into the senior team in the future.,