21-year-old La Liga forward on Barcelona radar – report | OneFootball

Having parted ways with Philippe Coutinho and Yusuf Demir this winter, Barcelona need players to fill in the forward line, especially off the bench. The likes of Ferran Torres, Ansu Fati, and Martin Braithwaite are coming off lengthy injuries, and if overused, can incur regular injuries. As a contingency plan, the Catalans are keeping tabs on Oihan Sancet, according to a report relayed by Fichajes.

Sancet is now 21 years old, and is achieving prominence under Marcelino at Athletic Club. The Basque midfielder has been at Athletic since 2017/18 in their subsidiaries. He has played both as the striker, and off one like a second striker during this time.

His debut came against Barcelona, this too in an iconic 1-0 home victory with an Aritz Aduriz goal.

Since then, he has scored seven goals and given six assists for his side in 58 league appearances. It is worth noting that for most of his time, given his age, he has been a substitute. On average, he has played about 45 minutes of football per game, which, when put into perspective, makes his statistics better.

For Barcelona, he would be instrumental in terms of his defensive work. Sancet is statistically among the best pressors of the ball in Europe. The Spaniard makes an average of 19 pressures per game.

He is also a forward-thinking player, manifested by his 4.4 and 2.6 progressive carries and passes, respectively, both in the top 20% of their categories. This season the Spaniard has scored four goals, including a sensational hat trick against Osasuna in a derby match.

While it is unclear when and if Barça will make a move for him, the Spaniard puts forth an interesting proposition. Athletic are always tough negotiators, known to have high demands and asking prices. This deal could turn out to be a long and complicated process.