Manchester City missed out on signing one of the best young defenders in Europe, Diario Sport has recently revealed.
At just 17 years of age, Pau Cubasi has already made 15 La Liga appearances for Barcelona starting 14 times, helping the Catalan club achieve six clean sheets in that span.
It’s quite the compliment that Barca boss Xavi Hernandez puts his faith on a player, that has only recently turned 17, in crucial games. But as we learn from a report from Diario Sport, the former Girona youth product should have signed for Manchester City instead of departing for Barcelona.
Manchester City were supposed to sign Pau Cubarsi from Girona back in 2023
Girona’s sporting director, Quique Carcel, engaged in discussions with Cubarsi’s representatives, aiming to negotiate a deal with potential ramifications beyond the Spanish club’s borders. The proposed agreement sought to intertwine Cubarsi’s future with that of Manchester City, leveraging Girona’s affiliation with the City Football Group.
But of course that move did not materialise and now he has becoming a dependable member of Barcelona’s defence at such a young age.
His performances this season are said to have earned him a call-up for the Spanish national team for the Euro 2024 squad.
Manchester City are currently blessed with countless world class defenders so the player likely wouldn’t be anywhere near their squad. The likes of John Stones, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji all regularly feature in Manchester City’s plans.