Barcelona are leading Real Madrid in the pursuit of FC Porto wonderkid Diogo Dalot and have reportedly launched a €10 million bid to land the prodigious defender.
Spanish publication AS have claimed that Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested in FC Porto wonderkid Diogo Dalot. The Catalans are leading the race to sign the Portuguese talent with reports that they have already tabled a €10 million offer to FC Porto for Dalot’s services.
Diogo Dalot arrived at FC Porto on a free transfer in 2015 and is a part of the club’s B team, who ply their trade in the second division in Portugal. The 17-year-old is one of the most highly-rated up-and-coming players in Europe and is thought to be on the verge of breaking into the first-team setup.
The 17-year-old right-back is now attracting interest from two of the most illustrious brands in the footballing world, Barcelona and Real Madrid. Both the heavyweights have a history of battling in the transfer market to capture the best of future talents and looks like Dalot is the next one on their radar.
Diogo Dalot already turning heads. The 17 year old caught the attention of Barcelona & Real Madrid.
Barca will offer #FCPorto 10m€. [as] pic.twitter.com/EwCOkS4rOO
— Portista (@FCPortoGlobal) March 10, 2017
Real Madrid have reportedly established contacted Dalot’s representatives with a view to bring the player over to the Bernabeu. But, it is Barcelona that have taken the lead in the pursuit of the 17-year-old, with a €10 million bid tabled to FC Porto for the player.
The bid, however, is below the release clause inserted in his contract, which is stipulated to be €20 million. Neither team is likely to hesitate at the aforementioned buyout clause, if they are serious about landing the 17-year-old talent, which, according to the reports they are.
FC Porto have already rejected Barcelona’s initial offer but the Portuguese outfit might be powerless if either or both the teams choose to activate the buyout clause.
And even though Real Madrid are quietly confident of landing the star, mainly because of Dalot’s earlier confession of Cristiano Ronaldo being their idol, Barcelona could just beat their arch-rivals to the prodigious defender with a quicker resolution on the deal.
Barcelona have already reportedly beaten Real Madrid to Santiago Bueno, another player Los Blancos were looking at and a transfer battle Florentino Perez is furious to have lost. And, they could be about to do the same in Dalot’s case as well.
Contracted to Porto till 2019, the club are in no hurry to sell and looks like any suitor for Dalot would have to activate the buyout clause in order to stand a chance at landing the player, be it Barcelona, Real Madrid or someone else entirely.