Barcelona are the latest club to be linked with Ryan Sessegnon with reports that the Catalan giants are monitoring the teenage Fulham hotshot.
According to The Mirror, Ryan Sessegnon is drawing interest from Barcelona, with the Catalan giants monitoring the Fulham teenager. Barcelona are not the only club in pursuit of Ryan Sessegnon though, with the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and a flurry of other top clubs interested in the newest sensation of English football.
Ryan Sessegnon is not your quintessential up-and-coming English sensation. For once, the hype around his talent is being backed by the enormously impressive displays. Not only has he been compared to Gareth Bale in terms of potential career trajectory but he has recently achieved something that a youngster can only dream of.
Agreed, the Championship is a level below the Premier League but, to sweep the annual awards, that too at the age of 17 is unprecedented. Sessegnon won 5 gongs at the EFL Award, including the coveted Championship Player of the Year and is also one of the six men vying for the PFA Young Player of the Year award as well, which contains names like Manchester United sensation Marcus Rashford, Manchester City winger Raheem Sterling and Tottenham phenom Harry Kane among others.
It is this level of talent that has drawn interest from almost every top English club. But, the entry of Barcelona might just be the icing on the cake. Barcelona have Jordi Alba and Lucas Digne as their options for the left side of defence. But, Digne seems to be frustrated at a lack of starts and is mulling over a change of club come summer in order to establish his role as a starter.
Jordi Alba too, has had his moments at the back. Bringing in Ryan Sessegnon could turn out to be a masterstroke. One, Barcelona could ideally firm up their left flank for arguably the next decade and more while, with Valverde sticking to a 4-4-2, the manager will also get a player who has experience of playing as a left midfielder and could be an option in advanced roles as well.
Sessegnon is an explosive talent and who knows, at Barcelona, he could transition from a marauding left-back to a menacing left winger. With Barcelona not having many options on the left – Digne at left-back and Iniesta, who has been preferred in left midfield are likely to leave the club in the summer – the 17-year-old will also be able to get a chunk of playing time under his belt.
Not to mention the prospect of Champions League football and a chance to prove himself in a league that only a few Englishmen have managed.
The 17-year-old already has 14 goals and 6 assists in the league this season for Fulham – a massive return considering the fact that he has played all across the left and not as a striker or through the middle at all.
The teenager is currently focused on taking Fulham to the Premier League but should it not end up being the case, Barcelona will fancy their chances. The 17-year-old is destined for greatness and Barcelona could make sure he does that at Nou Camp.
