Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing 19-year-old Spanish defensive prodigy Alejandro Frances from Real Zaragoza.
As reported by Spanish publication SPORT, Alejandro Frances is the subject of interest from Barcelona over a possible move in a future transfer window. The 19-year-old Real Zaragoza prodigy is one of two precocious talents on the Blaugrana’s radar.
Alejandro Frances has been with Real Zaragoza for several years and graduated from the Spanish club’s youth academy a couple of years ago. The young defender made his first-team debut for Los Blanquillos in January 2020, aged just 17, and has come a long way since then.
To date, the 19-year-old has made 50 appearances for Real Zaragoza, chipping in with one goal and one assist in the process. In the last two years, the youngster’s incredible progress has helped him become a regular in the Spanish under-21 side. At the same time, Frances has also captured the attention of one of the biggest clubs in Europe in Barcelona.
The Catalan giants are renowned for boasting of one of the best academies in Europe. However, they are also the aggregators of some of the brightest talents from Spain and beyond, with such an outlook fetching Barcelona current first-team regulars like Gavi, Pedri and Ronald Araujo.
However, Araujo’s future at Barcelona is highly uncertain, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United courting the 22-year-old Uruguayan defender. With Eric Garcia failing to deliver the goods since arriving on a free transfer in the summer transfer window and Gerard Pique approaching the end of his glittering career, Barcelona might need to enter the market for a young defender.
The Blaugrana’s need for a centre-back has been further accentuated by the inconsistencies of Clement Lenglet and the fact that Samuel Umtiti is deemed surplus to requirements. As a result, Frances is a viable target for Barcelona, with the club closely monitoring the 19-year-old Real Zaragoza prodigy’s progress.
In addition, Arsenal whizkid Charlie Patino is also on Barcelona’s radar, as the Catalan giants look to create a young core group of players that can serve them well in the next decade. As for the pursuit of Frances, it remains to be seen if Barcelona will sign the 19-year-old or prioritise signing a more experienced central defender instead.
