Barcelona have some exciting young talents coming through the youth ranks and one such player who is making people sit up and take notice of his abilities is Fabio Blanco.
Widely regarded as one of the most promising young talents in Spain, the 18-year-old is a product of the Valencia youth academy. Heading into the summer of last year, the young forward was courting interest from several clubs.
Barcelona, Real Madrid and Juventus were some of Blanco’s suitors, but he opted to join German club Eintracht Frankfurt instead. However, the move did not work out well for the youngster, and Barça snapped him up in January earlier this year.
Since arriving, the 18-year-old has been playing for the club’s B team and has made quite the impression. In 11 matches, Blanco has scored four goals, impressing with his attacking acumen and versatility in the final third.
In fact, first-team manager Xavi Hernandez has also been left impressed by the former Valencia starlet, so much so that there are plans for him to be fast-tracked into the senior team for next season.
However, as reported by Diario AS, Barcelona would not rule out the possibility of selling Blanco in the summer as his value has shot up considerably in recent months and would help the club make a profit, which would be beneficial in the current financial climate.
The report mentions that Dutch giants AFC Ajax and Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund are both interested in signing Blanco from Barça in the upcoming transfer window.
The final decision on the teenager’s future will rest on Xavi and whether he wants the Spaniard as part of his plans next season. In any case, the Blaugrana would not be entertaining a loan deal for the forward.
Instead, the priority for Barça would be to sell Blanco, potentially to a club playing in Europe, which both Ajax and Dortmund will be doing, while inserting a future buyback option. It remains to be seen as to what the future holds for the exciting youngster come summer.