La Liga side to enter negotiations with 22-year-old Barcelona forward

Ferran Jutgla is starting to gather a lot of attention after his recent performances for Barcelona.

The 22-year-old signed for Barça’s B team in the summer, arriving on a free transfer after his contract with local rivals Espanyol had run out. The versatile forward made a solid impression for the reserves, scoring and assisting four goals apiece in 15 matches.

Having impressed first-team boss Xavi Hernandez, Jutgla got a run-out in the Maradona Cup clash against Boca Juniors, where he scored. Following up on that, the youngster found the back of the net on his first La Liga start for the Catalans against Elche.

The ex-Espanyol starlet was the match-winner for the Blaugrana in the recent 2-1 victory over Linares Deportivo in Copa del Rey. All these positive, impactful displays have led to interest from Leeds United.

Now El Nacional is reporting that La Liga rivals Villarreal have also entered the race to sign the versatile attacker. The Yellow Submarines’ manager, Unai Emery, is keen on strengthening his options in the final third and sees Jutgla as a viable, cost-effective signing for the club. To that end, they are set to enter talks with the Catalans and the striker himself.

The Barcelona B forward, for his part, would be open to considering a transfer as he is aware he could lose his spot in the side once the Catalans have all their injured stars back in the fray.

Indeed, Jutgla’s chances emanated due to the sheer number of injuries in attack that the Blaugrana had to deal with. Now, though, they have Ousmane Dembele back, while Memphis Depay has also returned, with Ansu Fati and Martin Braithwaite also close to coming back to action.

Furthermore, Barcelona have signed Ferran Torres to further strengthen their attack and are also looking to add another striker. So, in all likelihood, Jutgla would likely be relegated to bench duties or will have to return to the B team.

Hence, Jutgla would consider leaving the club for Villarreal. The report also adds that Barcelona president Joan Laporta would also be open to a sale, with a fee less than €10 million being spoken of, given that his contract expires at the end of the season.