Barcelona youth prospect set to depart as a free agent in the summer – report

Barcelona have strengthened their youth and reserve ranks with the signing of players like Lucas Roman and Julian Araujo while they also handed a new contract to talented youngster Angel Alarcon, who is already gathering minutes at the first-team level.

However, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona seem set to lose one of their bright young talents, Victor Barbera, as a free agent at the end of the season.

The 18-year-old striker joined the Blaugrana’s famed La Masia youth setup in 2020 from CF Damm and has grown into a vital part of the club’s reserve team.

Under Rafa Marquez this season, Barbera has netted eight goals in 20 league games. On top of that, the teenager also has seven goals from just four appearances for Barcelona’s Under-19 setup in the UEFA Youth League.

Given the potential and promise he has shown, the Catalan giants had been negotiating to try and convince Barbera to sign a new contract with the club.

However, the Blaugrana’s financial situation meant that they have been unable to offer a lucrative enough deal to the 18-year-old and there are no guarantees over a first-team promotion for the youngster either.

Renewal talks are understood to have definitively stopped and Barbera is now believed to be on his way to Club Brugge.

The 18-year-old will follow in the footsteps of another former Barcelona striker, Ferran Jutgla, who left the Catalans for the Belgian outfit last summer.

However, as per the report, Club Brugge are likely to sell Jutgla in the summer and plan to replace him with Barbera.

They are understood to have offered him a longer deal than Barcelona with better economic conditions as well as the prospect of playing in Europe, which would have been unlikely if he continued with Barça Atletic.