Barcelona learn key detail about 16-year-old target’s contract with Bundesliga side

Barcelona learn key detail about 16-year-old target’s contract with Bundesliga side Barcelona will face a difficult route if they decide to pursue Niko Ilicevic, with Eintracht Frankfurt having a contractual upper hand in the 16-year-old’s long-term future, without including a release clause in his contract. According to SPORT , the Croatian-born German youth international currently has a youth agreement that will automatically become a professional contract when he turns 18, which will happen in October 2028.  The new deal is expected to keep him at Frankfurt until 2031, giving the Bundesliga club considerable control over his future amid growing interest from Europe’s leading teams. The contractual arrangement is quite significant for Barcelona, who happen to be among the number of clubs monitoring the teenager after his recent breakthrough into senior football. Frankfurt reject release clause request in Ilicevic negotiations The most important detail in Ilicevic’s agreement is the absence of a release clause. Barcelona have Niko Ilicevic on their radar. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images) The outlet mentions that his family reportedly requested that such a provision be included during negotiations, but Frankfurt’s sporting director Markus Krosche rejected the proposal. As a result of this development, any club hoping to sign the youngster will have to negotiate directly with Frankfurt rather than activate a predetermined transfer fee.  The German side will therefore retain significant leverage if interest develops into concrete approaches. Barcelona and European giants monitor Bundesliga record holder Ilicevic attracted considerable attention on earlier this month when he made his Bundesliga debut against Hamburg at just 16 years and one day old.  His appearance made him Eintracht Frankfurt’s youngest-ever player and saw him equal Youssoufa Moukoko’s record as the youngest footballer to feature in the Bundesliga. Niko Ilicevic has attracted significant interest across Europe. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images) The attacking midfielder has subsequently become a name to watch across European football.  On that note, the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester City are following his development, while Chelsea, Inter and AC Milan have also been linked with an interest. Barcelona need to assess Frankfurt’s position before making a move Barcelona’s interest fits their focus on identifying promising young players, but unlike their usual targets, Ilicevic is a complicated pursuit.  This is because there is no predetermined fee that would allow the Catalans to bypass negotiations with Frankfurt. On top of that, given the competition for the 16-year-old talent, it can be assumed that the German club won’t negotiate a lower transfer fee, something that might force the Catalan club to back out.