Barcelona are reportedly set to ramp up their pursuit of 17-year-old Real Valladolid prodigy Ivan San Jose, who is also being courted by a number of other clubs.
According to a report from Sport, Barcelona are keeping close tabs on Real Valladolid midfielder Ivan San Jose with the view of making a move for the 17-year-old in the summer transfer window.
San Jose, also known as ‘Chuky’, has come through the youth ranks at Real Valladolid and has been making quite the splash in Spanish youth footballing scenes over the past couple of years. The 17-year-old, a central midfielder by trade, made waves by scoring 21 goals for the Valladolid cadets last season before earning promotion to the Juvenil B team at the onset of the 2020/21 campaign.
In a short while, San Jose was bumped up the Pucela’s Juvenil A side, who play in the Honor Division. And the teenage midfielder has made the most of his opportunity, establishing himself as one of the finest prospects in the division.
54’| GOOOOLAZ⚽⚽⚽ DE ? Chuky
Empata ? el Valladolid ?⚪ con este gran disparo desde fuera del área del delantero ⚽@AtletiAcademia?⚪ 1️⃣➖1️⃣ @RVcantera?⚪#AúpaAtleti? #CanteraRV? #JuvenilDH? #DH5? pic.twitter.com/n2Bg3AYYe9
— Juvenil División de Honor (@JuvenilDH) May 15, 2021
The report states that the highly-rated prospect is known for his clever movement between the lines and the ability to find the back of the net. The 17-year-old recently found the back of the net against Atletico Madrid’s Juvenil side delaying their title triumph.
San Jose’s development has put him firmly on the radars of giants Barcelona. The Catalans, owing to their financial difficulties, are looking at youth players to bolster their ranks, having tasted success with the acquisition of Pedri from Las Palmas while the Blaugrana have also seen the likes of Ilaix Moriba, Oscar Mingueza grow into first-team roles in the ongoing season.
This has seen Barcelona get linked with a number of young prospects in recent times with Valencia’s Fabio Blanco seemingly high on their wishlist, while they have also shown an interest in signing Borussia Dortmund’s Under-17 captain Vasco Walz as well.
Now, San Jose has emerged as a target, with the Catalans hoping to seal the deal for the midfield prodigy as early as possible, considering that a number of other clubs are tracking him as well. It now remains to be seen if Barcelona are able to secure San Jose or are beaten to the punch by a different team.
