Real Madrid have reportedly enquired about Barcelona starlet Xavier Mbuyamba as his agent has suggested that he could be open to an exit from the Camp Nou.
The 18-year-old joined Barca last summer from Maastricht and has been involved at youth level with the Catalan giants since, making three appearances for the U19s side.
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While the defensive ace may have a bright future ahead of him as landing a move to Barcelona is a sign in itself that he’s a talented individual, it appears as though there are doubts over his time with the reigning La Liga champions already and his agent, Carlos Barros, has suggested that Real Madrid hold an interest in him.
“The ambiguity is enormous. New elections are approaching. If you see that even Ansu Fati could leave on loan, how can you not consider it?” he is quoted as saying by AS.
“Almost all the major clubs have asked about Xavier,” he added, with AS specifically mentioning Juventus, Inter, Chelsea and Real Madrid. “They [Madrid] take their growth seriously, but it would be a delicate change.”
Time will tell how the situation plays out for the youngster, but it seems as though his agent has raised doubts over his future with his current club and could be looking at possible alternatives to help his progress with his current contract running until 2023.
A return to the Netherlands is also touted in the report above, and so it remains to be seen where he ends up ahead of next season. That said, his agent seemingly has a point as with young talents coming through the ranks at Barcelona continuing to struggle to make that breakthrough at senior level, an exit would arguably be the smart move for his own career.
It’s very rare to see deals being done directly between Barcelona and Real Madrid though given their rivalry, and it could be a risky move from the former’s perspective to let him leave as he could potentially go on to become a top player at the Bernabeu instead.
With that in mind, Barca will perhaps think carefully on how best to deal with Mbuyamba’s future and whether or not he fits into their plans moving forward.