Barcelona and Real Madrid have reportedly registered their interest in Pablo Maffeo, having submitted enquiries for the Manchester City loanee.
According to a report by Spanish publication Don Balon, Barcelona and Real Madrid could be set to wage a transfer battle come next summer. The Royal Two of Spanish football have submitted enquiries for Pablo Maffeo, who is currently on loan at La Liga newcomers Girona from Manchester City.
Maffeo joined the Manchester City youth setup from boyhood club Espanyol in 2013, and made rapid strides in the academy before making his first-team debut last season. The player though, spent most of the first half of the campaign with the under-23 side before being sent on loan to Girona in January 2017.
After impressing during his short-term loan spell, and helping the Catalan club to successfully secure promotion to La Liga for the first time, Maffeo embarked on another loan spell in the summer, and he has been nothing short of spectacular.
This season, Maffeo has played all but one game for Pablo Machin’s side, and has particularly been impressive against Barcelona and Real Madrid, keeping stalwarts like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo quiet for long periods in the respective games.
.@Pablomaffeo is absolutely class. Tenacious, skilful, a leader – and he’s improving every week. pic.twitter.com/rbGMgN5IjP
— Steven (@EsteemedKompany) November 6, 2017
And the two clubs have now expressed their interest in the player, having submitted enquiries to Manchester City over his availability, and are now eyeing a potential move next summer. Indeed, both Real Madrid and Barcelona have been in a spot of bother as far as the right side of defence is concerned.
Zinedine Zidane has struggled to find a reliable backup in the absence of Dani Carvajal, who has been sidelined for large parts of the season so far due to pericarditis. While Achraf Hakimi has shown signs of nerves when put to the test, Nacho hasn’t been able to create as big an impact, particularly in the final third.
Meanwhile, at Barcelona, Nelson Semedo has been a fantastic signing by Ernesto Valverde. But, the Portuguese defender hasn’t cemented his place the first-team setup yet, meaning Sergi Roberto has been deployed as a makeshift right-back, despite claiming that he sees the Spaniard as a midfielder in the buildup to the season.
However, Pep Guardiola is a huge admirer of the player’s talents, and is unwilling to let him depart from the Etihad on a permanent transfer, despite the interest from two of the biggest clubs in the world.
But, Maffeo might be open to leaving Manchester City if he fails to find assurances of a larger role in the first-team setup. With Kyle Walker well established as the first-choice right-back, and summer signing Danilo his understudy, the player might be unable to become a regular despite his exploits at Girona.
The report does suggest that he could be available for €30 million, and it remains to be seen if either club manages to secure the player’s services next summer, or if Manchester City keep hold of him.
