Bosnia national team director scouts 19-year-old Barcelona rising talent

Bosnia national team director scouts 19-year-old Barcelona rising talent One of the pleasant surprises of the season for FC Barcelona’s reserve team, Barça Atletic, has been Mirza Catovic. The midfielder, who is on loan from Stuttgart, has impressed with his performances in the engine room of Juliano Belletti’s side. A towering presence, Catovic bears a strong physical and stylistic resemblance to first-team star Marc Bernal. He has established himself as a dominant presence in midfield whenever he has played for the reserves. Catovic made his first start against UD Logrones Promesas, missed the following match through suspension and then sat out the next two fixtures after receiving a call-up to the Germany U20 national team. A surprise visit from Bosnia Following the international break, Catovic returned to the starting line-up against SD Logrones and delivered an excellent all-round performance. Now, according to SPORT , a special observer was watching Catovic from the stands at the Estadi Johan Cruyff. Emir Spahic, Bosnia’s sporting director and a former Sevilla player, attended the match to assess the midfielder in person. Catovic is eligible to represent Germany, Serbia or Bosnia at international level. Originally from the Sandzak region of the Balkans, Catovic moved to Germany with his family at a young age. His background makes him eligible to represent all three countries. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mirza Catovic (@catovic.mirzaa) So far, he has only played for Germany’s youth teams. However, following Spahic’s visit, a potential approach from Bosnia cannot be ruled out. Ultimately, the decision over his international future will rest with the player himself. From Frankfurt to Stuttgart and Barcelona Catovic began his development in the youth ranks of Rot-Weiss Frankfurt before being recruited by VfB Stuttgart at the age of 16. He has spent the past three years at the German club. He began this season with Stuttgart’s second team, making two appearances in the third tier of German football. Last season, he played 29 matches in the division and scored one goal. Barcelona have an option to make his move permanent for an amount ranging between €5 million and €10 million and are delighted with his performances so far. His commanding displays for Barça Atletic have strengthened the case for keeping him beyond his loan spell. With Bosnia now monitoring his progress and two other national teams also an option, Catovic’s development at Barcelona could soon have implications beyond club football.