According to ESPN, Barcelona are in talks to re-sign former academy talent Kays Ruiz-Atil from Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer this summer.
ESPN report that the 18-year-old midfielder is out of contract in June, as no first-team action since Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival casts doubt over Ruiz-Atil’s future in Paris.
It’s added that the Blaugrana are currently negotiating a deal for the central midfielder, who joined their ranks at the age of seven but was forced to leave in 2014 after the club breached FIFA regulations.
Ruiz-Atil edged towards a breakthrough when he was named in a matchday squad for the Champions League quarter-final tie against Atalanta last season, and then initially kicked on once the new campaign started.
We reported two months ago that Chelsea were one of the sides looking to snap up the Moroccan talent, who was promoted to the first-team by current Blues boss Thomas Tuchel.
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Ruiz-Atil was handed seven first-team appearances by Tuchel, starting in the side’s opener this season before making six outings off the bench.
Despite the encouraging start to his season, Tuchel’s sacking and Pochettino’s arrival has ended the chance for Ruiz-Atil to kickstart his development.
Pochettino has only included the midfielder in the matchday squad for one of his fixtures in charge, not calling on the talent even once, which leaves Ruiz-Atil heading towards the exit door this summer.
Barcelona and a host of Europe’s biggest clubs will be licking their lips at the prospect of recruiting the talent on a free, or for a minimal compensation fee depending on how these final months pan out.
The youngster primarily featured as a central midfielder in the PSG youth teams, but was deployed further forward and even out wide on the left by Tuchel in his brief breakthrough at senior level.
We will be happy to see ruiz atil playing for barcelona but barcelona need to be buying big and experience players not be small players because they are not be small team.