Barcelona prospect rejects Premier League to sign a renewal with €20m release clause | OneFootball

As officially confirmed on Tuesday, Barcelona youth prospect Tomas Marques has signed a new contract with the club until the summer of 2028.

A part of the Juvenil A outfit this season, the 18-year-old prodigy has penned a new deal which will also see him get promoted to Barça Atletic.

Marques rejects Premier League interest

Building on the news of the renewal, Fabrizio Romano reports that Tomas Marques decided to sign a new contract with Barcelona despite having interest from several Premier League clubs.

The 18-year-old, who has turned from an attacking midfielder to a No. 6, was attracting strong interest from top teams in England, but opted to stay and continue his journey at the Catalan club.

The update from Romano further states that Marques’ new contract contains a release clause worth €20 million.

That figure is set to rise to €25 million if the teenage midfielder makes five appearances for the Blaugrana first team.

A bright prospect

Marques joined Barcelona in 2015 from CE Europa as a skilful, lightweight attacking midfielder with great vision and a knack for long-range shooting.

The youngster’s progress was hampered by injuries during his cadet years following which he had a stint on loan at CF Damm in 2022, where he was once again bothered by fitness issues before he was able to show his qualities.

Having returned to the club in late 2023, the 18-year-old became a regular for the Juvenil B setup before getting bumped up to Juvenil A last year.

Now a tall, strong, and technically sound defensive midfielder, Marques has transformed into a reliable No. 6, a deep-lying playmaker who offers both defensive solidity and effective distribution, drawing comparisons to Sergio Busquets.

The renewal until 2028 is a strong vote of confidence from Barcelona in the midfielder’s potential and allows him to continue developing at the club.