The last summer transfer window has seen Barcelona saying goodbye to club legend Lionel Messi amid a delicate financial situation. The Cules, who were destroyed by Bayern in their opening Champions League game, are facing tough times.
Ronald Koeman insists he is the reason why the Catalans have a future but the team doesn't respond on the field. The rebuild in Barca is far from being done. In fact, is just getting started.
The outlook may not be encouraging for the short term but they hope that things will be way better in the future. That's why the Blaugrana will continue pursuing youth talent and a promising Russian youngster may have attracted their interest.
Barcelona reportedly target 18-year-old Russian wonderkid
It has never been a secret that Barcelona tend to follow young players from all around the world aiming to find the next generational talent. Their current situation may be far from good but that's apparently not preventing them from trying to land a potential gem.
According to Russian journalist Nobel Arustanyam, Barcelona would consider signing Dynamo Moscow and Russia international Arsen Zakharyan, who has a €12 million release clause that would increase to €15m at the end of the season.
An 18-year-old central midfielder who can also perform on the flanks, Zakharyan has made two appearances with the senior national squad and shone in the Euro U21 tournament. His contract runs until June 2024.
Although Arustanyam claimed that Barca scouts have been following him for several games and were impressed by his performances, Zakharyan's father and his agent said they didn't hear anything from the Spanish giants, who may have talked directly to the club.
Considering their current financial crisis, it might not be the best moment for Barca to afford his release clause. However, we've seen before how seriously they take it when it comes to landing young players.
