Barcelona are reportedly looking to beat Real Madrid and a host of other top European clubs in pursuit of PSG wonderkid Yacine Adli.
Spanish publication Don Balon are claiming that the eyes of a host of top European clubs are now locked on to a Paris Saint-Germain player, albeit someone other than the usual culprits Neymar, Edinson Cavani, Angel Di Maria, Marco Verratti and others. The player in question is young Yacine Adli.
17-year-old Yacine Adli has been tearing it in the youth leagues and has been a regular component of PSG’s youth side, both in domestic competitions and the UEFA Youth League. The player has 16 appearances against his name in the Under-17 French National Team, with 6 goals to his name as well.
Labelled the next Marco Verratti, the player boasts an extra dimension to his ability compared to the Italian. The French youngster is more attacking in his gameplay and is also able to play from the right side of the wing – not a real surprise given the burst of pace the 17-year-old seems to possess.
Bearing great vision and goals in his playing style, the youngster has been attracting the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City and even Bayern Munich. While Bayern’s interest is just in the initial phase, the other three suitors are seriously looking at the possibility of landing the starlet.
The suitors have also been boosted by Adli’s hesitation to commit to a new deal at PSG, with his current contract set to expire at the end of the 2017-18 season. PSG’s new Head of Youth Academy, Luis Fernandez has been doing all in his rights to get Adli to sign an extension at Parc des Princes.
Bayern are interested in PSG’s attacking midfielder Yacine Adli (17) [L’Equipe] pic.twitter.com/aTcCry6Bvd
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) November 14, 2017
At present, Barcelona seem to be in the lead over Real Madrid and Manchester City. The player would be eligible to agree to a pre-contract from January and PSG would be resigned to just compensation from the suitor that is able to land him – compensation to the tune of a meagre £300,000 or so.
PSG will keep trying to convince Adli to commit to a new deal, knowing well enough the 17-year-old’s potential, especially after they have seen a similar case with Moussa Dembele, who has now become one of the most coveted young forwards in the European footballing scene after being let go by PSG.
Still, Barcelona looks like the club best-placed to land the Frenchman, who seems to be heading towards the right direction in footballing progression. Now though, he must choose his next step wisely, as the next is what often shapes a young player’s career.
