La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly in a transfer tussle to sign 16-year-old Independiente del Valle prodigy Juan Riquelme Angulo, dubbed the ‘Ecuadorian Haaland’.
According to a report by Spanish outlet SPORT, Juan Riquelme Angulo is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Catalan giants are among several clubs tracking the progress of the Independiente del Valle wonderkid, with pundits hailing him as the ‘Ecuadorian Haaland’.
Who is Juan Riquelme Angulo?
Juan Riquelme Angulo is the latest highly-rated prospect to rise in prominence in his homeland. A native of San Lorenzo, the teenage prospect has spent his formative years in Ecuador, progressing through the ranks at Independiente del Valle and currently turns out for the under-20 team.
Ecuador has produced several promising prospects in the last few years, with Willian Pacho, Piero Hincapie, and Moises Caicedo among the players to rise in prominence and earn moves to well-known clubs in Europe. In addition, Kendy Paez is the most highly-rated prodigy in the country. As for Angulo, he is a striker by trade and is known for his imposing presence at 1.93m tall and for having a penchant for scoring goals.
So, it is hardly surprising that the 16-year-old has earned the moniker of ‘Ecuadorian Haaland’ due to his exploits in age-group football in his homeland and South America. In addition, the South American attacker’s progress has piqued the attention of several high-profile clubs across Europe, including Barcelona.
Barcelona keen
Barcelona’s interest in Juan Riquelme Angulo is hardly surprising. The Catalan giants constantly scour the South American market for highly-rated prospects, with Vitor Roque recently arriving at the club. In addition, recent reports have linked Barcelona with prodigies like Guilherme Doguinha.
Angulo has recently made his mark with his exploits in the under-15 South American Championships, scoring four goals in six games as Ecuador reached the final. The 16-year-old outshined other highly-rated prospects like Justin Lema and the twins Holger and Edwin Quintero.
Barcelona’s interest in Angulo is in the early stages. However, if the South American attacker continues doing justice to the moniker of ‘Ecuadorian Haaland’, it will not be surprising to see other high-profile clubs joining the race to sign him.
