Barcelona and Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on the progress of 19-year-old English defensive sensation Charlie O’Connell.
According to a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Charlie O’Connell is the subject of interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two La Liga heavyweights have submitted offers to sign the 19-year-old Peterborough United defensive sensation in a Bosman move in the 2023 summer transfer window.
Charlie O’Connell has spent his formative years in England. He spent a few years at West Ham United before joining Peterborough United in 2019. And the English defender made his first-team debut for the Posh in May 2021 before making more progress this year.
The 19-year-old currently plies his trade for Peterborough’s under-21 side but has turned out thrice for the first team this season. But the English minnows are in a spot of bother over O’Connell’s long-term future as he is in the final months of his contract. Such a situation has captured the attention of Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Barcelona will likely enter the market for a centre-back in the summer transfer window next year. With Gerard Pique hanging up his boots, the Blaugrana will need to invest in a central defender to fill the veteran’s void. And while Barcelona signed Jules Kounde and Andreas Christensen this past summer, they can do with another player at the back.
🎥 Grant McCann spoke to the media ahead of the trip to the Peninsula Stadium to face Salford City in the Emirates FA Cup first round replay, discussing team selection, the opposition and one of the players who has rejected a contract. #pufc
— Peterborough United (@theposh) November 15, 2022
O’Connell has thus emerged as a viable target for Barcelona. And the report claims the Catalan giants have already submitted an offer to the 19-year-old English defensive sensation. But they face stiff competition from bitter rival Real Madrid in the race to sign the Peterborough United prodigy.
Real Madrid might lose Nacho in the summer transfer window, with talks over a new contract stalling. In addition, Jesus Vallejo could depart from the Santiago Bernabeu next year. So Real Madrid might enter the market for a centre-back. Several players, including Antonio Silva, are already on their radar, with O’Connell also a viable target.
Like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have also presented offers to the 19-year-old English defensive sensation. And Grant McCann has already suggested that O’Connell will leave Peterborough as a free agent next summer. It will be interesting to see where the teenage prodigy lands.
