Barcelona are reportedly considering a move for Venezuela wonderkid Yeferson Soteldo, who is also being tailed by Real Madrid.
According to a report by Spanish publication Don Balon, Venezuelan attacking prodigy Yeferson Soteldo is set to spark a Spanish head-to-head battle for his services. Barcelona have joined Real Madrid in the race to sign the 20-year-old from Huachipato.
Yeferson Soteldo is a 20-year-old winger who is widely regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in South America at the present moment. The player progressed through the ranks at Zamora before breaking into the club’s first-team setup at the nascent age of 16.
Since then, his stock has consistently been on the rise, with many hailing him to be the next big thing in the continent. In particular, Soteldo caught the eye at the under-20 World Cup earlier in the year, where he spearheaded Venezuela’s sensational campaign – the side finished runners-up to England.
Yeferson Soteldo #10 // Video
? #talent #soccer pic.twitter.com/PWKjZJNysn
— 1899 Scout (@1899Scout) June 21, 2017
Short-statured at 5′ 3″, one would deem the youngster to be an ill fit in the world of football. But, he uses his pace and trickery to good effect, beating his marker with ease while creating spaces for his teammates to exploit.
And such exploits have helped Soteldo capture the attention of two of the biggest clubs in the world. Real Madrid and Barcelona are hot on his tails, and are set to wage a head-to-head battle to secure his services before the transfer window slams shut.
At Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane and his men have been the all conquering force in Europe, thwarting every team in their path. Attack has been a strong suit for Los Blancos, with the famed BBC trio, in addition to Marco Asensio, Lucas Vazquez and Isco providing a menacing presence in the final third.
However, Zidane has publicly stated that Real Madrid are in the market for an attacker. Kylian Mbappe was reportedly his first priority. But, with the chances of signing his compatriot looking bleak, the Frenchman has seems to have turned his attention towards Soteldo, who can be a perfect fit with his pace and trickery.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are in complete disarray, with poor performances on the field and off it. In the transfer market, the Blaugrana have failed to acquire any of their primary targets.
Following Neymar’s move to PSG, attack has become a priority for Ernesto Valverde, with the likes of Arda Turan, Gerard Deulofeu and Paco Alcacer not inspiring much confidence. Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele is reportedly the first priority for the Catalan club, but the Bundesliga outfit have rebuffed their approaches thus far.
With less than two weeks to go before the transfer window slams shut, Barcelona are identifying their contingency plans should they fail to land the Frenchman. Soteldo has, thus, emerged as a viable target for Valverde.
The report suggests that Real Madrid are currently leading the race to sign the player, having been in contact with his representatives for weeks now. But, Barcelona are fancying their chances of landing the player with Los Blancos yet to agree a deal with Huachipato.
It now remains to be seen if the Blaugrana finally manage to land an attacking player this summer, or if Real Madrid manage to beat their bitter rivals to Soteldo.
