Catalan giants Barcelona are reportedly tracking 22-year-old Spanish international Hugo Guillamon, who has a release clause worth €50 million.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Hugo Guillamon is the subject of interest from Barcelona. The Spanish international has a release clause worth €50 million in his contract with Valencia.
Hugo Guillamon joined the Valencia academy as an eight-year-old in 2009 before rapidly rising through the ranks at the Spanish club. The 22-year-old turned professional in December 2017, faring well for Valencia B before making his first-team debut in February 2020. The youngster has not looked back since then, establishing himself as a regular for Los Che.
The player has turned out 79 times for Valencia, chipping in with three goals and three assists. At the same time, Guillamon has broken into the Spanish national team and is a dark horse to go to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Spaniard’s progress has also captured the attention of several bigwigs, including Barcelona.
The Catalan giants are in the market for a long-term successor for Sergio Busquets. That is because the veteran Spanish international has been showing signs of regression this term. And with the Barcelona captain in the twilight of his career, the Blaugrana will need to lay down a succession plan.
Several midfielders, including Ruben Neves, have thus emerged on Barcelona’s radar. And Hugo Guillamon is also a viable target for the Blaugrana heading into next summer’s transfer window. His ability to play as a centre-back further makes the Spanish international appealing.
The 22-year-old interestingly started his career as a centre-back before transforming into a holding midfielder. And with Barcelona in the market for a central defender and showing interest in Inigo Martinez, Guillamon can be a twin-pronged solution. But the youngster will not come cheap, as Valencia might point to his release clause, worth €50 million.
With Barcelona’s financial woes not disappearing yet, shelling out €50 million on Guillamon might be out of the question. But it will be interesting to see if the Blaugrana can negotiate an acceptable sum with Valencia for the Spanish international. For now, he remains an intriguing target for Barcelona.
