Barcelona will continue to monitor teenage defender after failed summer move despite verbal agreement
· Yahoo Sports
One of the players that FC Barcelona were eager to sign during the final days of the summer transfer window was Ruud Nijstad.
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Having bid goodbye to Ronald Araujo and Alvaro Cortes, the La Liga champions sought to reinforce the centre-back position and identified the FC Twente starlet as a target.
The move, however, did not materialise as the Dutch club refused to part ways with their teenage prospect.
Barcelona had a verbal agreement
Providing an update on the club’s pursuit of Nijstad, Matteo Moretto on Radio MARCA reports that Barcelona tried until the last day of the summer to sign the 18-year-old centre-back.
In fact, the Catalans even had a verbal agreement with the teenage starlet, who was pushing for a move.
Barcelona wanted Nijstad in the summer. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images for DFB)
However, FC Twente manager John van den Brom and sporting director Erik ten Hag refused to open the door for his sale irrespective of the player’s wishes.
Barça will continue tracking Nijstad
Having missed out on his signing, Barcelona plan to continue monitoring Nijstad at FC Twente with an eye on the future, confirms Moretto.
The 18-year-old starlet was seen as a key target due to his age, potential, technical ability, and left-footed nature.
The Blaugrana saw him as the ideal profile to strengthen the position and will keep tracking his development in the Netherlands.
What has Nijstad said?
Nijstad, for his part, has openly spoken about Barcelona’s interest, saying: “If a club like Barça wants you, it’s wonderful. It’s the biggest club in the world. So, in a way, it really gets you curious.”
Flick and Deco saw Nijstad as the ideal profile. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
However, he also confirmed that Twente refused to let him leave, following which he signed a new contract.
“They wouldn’t let me leave. Of course. And I understand that. I extended my contract voluntarily myself because I can continue to develop here. So that’s what I have to keep doing.”
As things stand, signing a new centre-back in January is not a priority for Barcelona. But a final decision will be made after assessing the performances of the current defenders.
If they do decide to enter the market, Nijstad is expected to be on the club’s wishlist again.