Barcelona pushing to sign 16-year-old German defensive talent; negotiations underway

Barcelona pushing to sign 16-year-old German defensive talent; negotiations underway Ever since Deco took over as sporting director, Barcelona have placed a lot of emphasis on scouting and signing young players who can help the first team in the near future. This move is already paying dividends, as seen with the signing of Hamza Abdelkarim from Al Ahly half a season ago. In less than six months, the Egyptian has gone from a developmental bet to playing in the World Cup to emerging as a genuine candidate for the first team under Hansi Flick. Now, according to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Sports Germany , Barcelona have set their sights on another teenage defender. The Catalans are pushing to sign Hamburger SV prospect Mikael Baza, with negotiations between the two clubs already ongoing. Barcelona working on Baza deal Baza is only 16 years old but is regarded as an exciting defensive prospect within the German club’s academy. Barcelona are pushing to sign German talent Mikael Baza. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images for DFB) The youngster is a left-footed centre-back and currently represents HSV at Under-19 level. He has only a year left on his current contract with the club. Crucially for the Catalans, Baza is said to be very open to making the switch to Barcelona. There is no indication yet that an agreement has been reached, but Barça ’s interest appears to have moved beyond simply monitoring the defender, with negotiations now taking place. Baza also comes from a notable footballing family. He is the cousin of Bayern Munich and Germany defender Jonathan Tah. Barcelona already have a pathway in mind Should the deal be completed, Barça have a clear developmental path charted out for Baza in the coming years. The idea would be for the defender to continue his progression between Barcelona’s Under-19 set-up and Barça Atletic before eventually being integrated into the first-team picture. Mikael Baza is keen on moving to Barcelona. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images for DFB) That pathway makes plenty of sense from a Barça perspective. La Masia and Barça Atletic provide an environment where these talented youngsters can be moulded into the club’s principles. Baza being left-footed is another attractive element. Naturally left-sided centre-backs can provide different passing angles during build-up. This is an area that the first team are lacking despite the presence of Gerard Martin and the emergence of Alvaro Cortes. However, it is important to exercise caution with Baza. There is obviously a considerable distance between impressing at youth level and becoming a first-team Barcelona defender. For now, Barça seem willing to take a bet on Baza’s potential. Whether he eventually makes it to the first team will depend on his development, and it remains to be seen whether the Catalan club get this deal over the line.