Barcelona are no strangers to losing their best young talent to Premier League giants, with Gerard Pique, Cesc Fabregas, and Dani Pacheco all having left the club at a young age.
With Pique and Fabregas’ moves seeming like extended loan deals, and Barca never truly fearing that their former stars would return, the moves served to ensure the players got plenty of first-team experience, something which they may have lacked had they stayed in Catalonia.
Gerard Deulofeu, 17, can be deployed as either a striker or a winger, and has been tipped by many to soon make his first appearance for the Barcelona first-team, sparking interest from London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, according to talkSPORT. The youngster has been compared by many to a young Lionel Messi, and has been tipped to make it at the very highest level.
Due to his age, Deulofeu is unable to sign a professional contract with Barcelona due to regulations in Spain, however, 17-year olds can sign professional contracts in England, and this may tempt the youngster into a move to the Premier League.
In addition to the financial reasons behind a move, the effect similar moves had on the careers of both Fabregas and Pique, now two of Spain’s most highly prized international stars, could well provide the swing vote for Deulofeu.
