Barcelona starlet Mika Marmol has emerged as a transfer target for fellow La Liga club Sevilla as well as German bigwigs Borussia Dortmund.
According to a report from Mundo Deportivo, Sevilla and Borussia Dortmund have set their sights on highly-rated Barcelona youngster Mika Marmol, whose contract with the La Liga heavyweights expires in 2023.
Mika started at the academy of CF Damm and spent a year with the youth setup of Jabac before arriving at Barca’s famed La Masia academy in 2018. The youngster quickly became a regular in youth sides and was promoted to the club’s B team last year. The left-footed centre-back was the second-most used player for Barcelona B and has featured in every minute of league football this season.
In total, the 20-year-old has made 41 appearances for Barca’s B side, scoring two goals and setting up one more. However, the youngster is yet to make his first-team bow for the Catalan giants. But the report states that newly-appointed manager Xavi Hernandez is an admirer of the Terrassa-born defender and would consider drafting him into the senior team in the near future due to his left-footed nature.
Barcelona have Clement Lenglet and Samuel Umtiti as the only left-footed defenders in the first-team roster currently. Both are out of favour and could be shown the exit doors in the January transfer window, which could open up a spot for Mika to break into the senior setup at Camp Nou.
Apart from garnering admirers from within the club, the 20-year-old has managed to catch the eye of clubs in Spain and Europe. The likes of Mallorca, Getafe and Celtic had made attempts to land him in the summer earlier this year but failed. Now, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla have also emerged in pursuit of the young defender.
Borussia Dortmund have been known for backing young talent and have done transfer dealings with the Catalans before, having brought in youngsters like Marc Bartra, Sergio Gomez and Mateu Morey. While the moves haven’t all been successful, the Black and Yellows have now set their sights on Mika Marmol as they look to strengthen their defensive options with an eye on the future.
Meanwhile, Sevilla are on the lookout for a new left-sided centre-back and see the Barcelona youngster as a good investment opportunity. However, they have also been linked with Lenglet. Whether the 20-year-old Mika Marmol remains a Barcelona player or seeks a new challenge next year remains to be seen.
