Barcelona fans have been raving about teenage central defender Pau Cubarsi in recent weeks, and against Getafe over the weekend he put in his best performance yet. Manager Xavi Hernandez was full of praise for Cubarsi after the game, but he is not the only one taking notice of the 17-year-old’s form.
Recently it emerged that it was a call from Barcelona assistant manager Oscar Hernandez that helped prevent Cubarsi from leaving for Girona or Manchester City this summer, but his release clause remains at just €10m. Various Premier League clubs are willing to activate that release clause.
With his contract running until 2026, it is incumbent on Barcelona to offer him a new deal sooner rather than later too, in order to avoid time pressure becoming a negotiating chip against them. However RAC1 say that Cubarsi will not listen to offers from other clubs, despite the interest in him. Their report claims the mutual trust between the club and the player is strong, and that Cubarsi believes Barcelona when they say he will be offered a new deal.
The Blaugrana are delaying offering Cubarsi a new deal as they do not yet know what margin they will have in terms of their salary limit.
Xavi called Cubarsi their best defender with the ball at their feet already, and having looked good defending through strretches at just 17 years of age, securing his future looks a necessity for the Blaugrana. Already people are projecting him as a long-term starter at the club, and while it is too soon to say much about his future for certain, he undoubtedly has the talent to do so.