Barcelona are reportedly keeping tabs on the progress of Red Bull Salzburg’s 18-year-old attacking prodigy Roko Simic.
According to SPORT, Barcelona are tracking the development of Red Bull Salzburg and Croatia Under-21 national team striker Roko Simic, who is enjoying an impressive 2021/22 campaign.
Simic started his footballing journey at the academy of NK Kustosija before joining the NK Lokomotiva Zagreb youth setup in 2015. Having risen through the ranks at the Croatian club, the 18-year-old made 26 senior appearances before signing for Austrian giants Red Bull Salzburg in 2021.
Simic has largely been playing in the Austrian second division this season with FC Liefering, who serve as the reserve side for Salzburg. In 19 matches for them, the teenage centre-forward has scored 13 goals and registered three assists. At the same time, he has made three appearances for the Red Bull Salzburg senior team.
Simic was also part of the Salzburg Under-19 side that competed in the UEFA Youth League this season and made it all the way to the final. The Austrian club were hammered 6-0 by Benfica in the final last weekend, but Simic made a big impression during the tournament, bagging seven goals and three assists in nine matches.
Simic, who has six goals in six caps for the Croatian Under-21 national team, is attracting the interest of several top clubs from across Europe. AC Milan are keen on signing the 18-year-old, while Premier League clubs like Arsenal have also been credited with interest, along with their London rivals Tottenham and West Ham United.
Now, Barcelona, too, have entered the fray for the potential signing of Simic in the upcoming summer window. The Catalans have given a lot of focus to youth recruitment in recent windows after witnessing the success enjoyed by the likes of Ansu Fati, Pedri, Gavi, Nico Gonzalez and Ronald Araujo at the first-team level.
Gifted youngsters like Emre Demir and Pablo Torre are set to join Barcelona in the summer, and more could be on their way, with the Catalans setting their sights on Simic as well as Benfica’s Cher Ndour, who scored in the UEFA Youth League final against Salzburg.
Xavi has shown that he is ready to back youngsters. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang well into his thirties, someone like Simic could get opportunities at Barcelona should he complete a move. But his contract with Salzburg runs until 2025, which could complicate matters for the Blaugrana.
