Barcelona are lining up a move for Marseille’s highly-rated teenage midfielder Maxime Lopez, according to reports in Spain.
El Mundo Deportivo state the Catalan giants have held meetings with the player’s agent in Marseille and are hopeful of bringing him to the Camp Nou next summer.
The story, which makes the front page of the paper’s Thursday edition, compares the 19-year-old to Xavi Hernandez and reports the Blaugrana have scouted him on several occasions with impressive reports.
Lopez has made 44 appearances for the French giants since making his debut last season and is among one of the hottest prospects in Ligue 1.
The French Under-20 international is viewed by Barca officials as a possible cornerstone of their team in years to come and the club are now focused on bringing in younger players in future seasons to replace ageing stars.
