Chelsea have been linked with the move for the Brazilian defensive midfielder Gabriel Moscardo.
According to a report via Goal.com, Barcelona are now pushing to sign the 18-year-old and they will look to beat Chelsea to his signature.
Apparently, the player is valued at €30 million and Chelsea failed with a €21 million offer to sign him. The Blues are unwilling to match the asking price and their interest has cooled. It will be interesting to see whether Barcelona’s entry into the transfer race pushes Chelsea to come back with an improved offer.
Moscardo is highly rated in South America and he has a big future ahead of him. The 18-year-old could be the ideal long-term replacement for club legend Sergio Busquets. Moscardo can operate as a defensive as well as a central midfielder. He has the physicality and technical attributes to thrive at a top club and it will be interesting to see where he ends up.
Chelsea could certainly use more quality in the central midfield and Moscardo would be a solid, long-term acquisition for them.
He will want to test himself at the highest level and the opportunity to join clubs like Barcelona and Chelsea will be hard to turn. Barcelona have one of the best youth setups in the world and they could help him fulfil his tremendous potential. Similarly, Chelsea have done well to nurture several talented young players in recent seasons and they could help the 18-year-old as a footballer as well.
Barcelona will have to move swiftly if they want to win the race for his signature. They will not be able to compete with the Premier League club financially and they must look to convince the player to snub a move to Chelsea and join them instead.