Barcelona have now set sights on 16-year-old Argentinian pearl – Report | OneFootball

Some of the biggest names in the history of FC Barcelona hailed from South America, and the Catalans have always been attentive to this source of talent as they continue to hunt for youngsters with the highest footballing potential.

Their latest foray into the continent was the signing of Vitor Roque, which did not exactly pan out as planned. However, scouts from the Blaugrana club are still keeping their eyes on some of the most promising talents emerging in South America.

In this regard, SPORT reports that one of the names that the Catalans are keeping their eyes on is the River Plate youngster, Felipe Esquivel, who was one of the stars of the recently concluded South American U-15 Championship.

During this tournament, Esquivel played mainly on the right, but the Argentinian can play on both sides, and he particularly excels in dribbling. In this aspect, he is even better than the two other highly rated forwards that have emerged in River Plate in recent years, Claudio Echeverri and Franco Mastantuono.

Esquivel’s best outing in this tournament came against Brazil, as he scored a goal after receiving a long pass, and showcased his dribbling and talents. This goal eliminated Brazil from the competition as the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

Barcelona were unable to compete for the other two River Plate wonderkids, as Manchester City signed Echeverri and Mastantuono has a salary agreement with Real Madrid.

But Esquivel still has two years to mature, with their finances improving, Barcelona can make an effort to sign the youngster who has already renewed his contract till 2026, with a release clause of €30 million.

The forward is now expected to take the next step in his career by joining the River Plate first team for the pre-season in January. Meanwhile, Barcelona and other European clubs will continue to keep looking at the 16-year-old winger’s evolution.