Barcelona is keen to bring Rapid Vienna midfielder Yusuf Demir, who has already been dubbed the ‘Austrian Messi,’ to the club in the summer transfer window.
The Catalan giants have taken pole position in the race to land the highly-rated 17-year-old who is said to be close to signing a contract with the club, according to Fussball Transfers.
New Barcelona president Joan Laporta “has stepped up” the club’s interest in Demir since being elected and is hoping a deal can be done for around €6-8 million ($7-9.5m).
Other interested clubs include Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester City who are said to have “not given up entirely” on landing Demir. However, Barcelona and Laporta “are doing everything in their power” to conclude a deal that would see another talented youngster arrive at the Camp Nou.
ESPN report that Barca could also win the race for Demir because “of the player’s long-standing admiration for Lionel Messi.” The possibility of playing alongside the Argentina international is said to be a “massive draw” for the youngster.
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Who Is Demir?
Demir is the latest in a long line of players to be hit with the “new Messi” tag. The teenager is left-footed, able to play in a variety of roles, and has caught the eye with his set-piece ability and dribbling skills.
His agent, Emre Ozturk, has said that Demir does remind him of Messi and also admits the youngster is a big fan of the Barcelona captain in an interview with SPOX.
“Yussi is very creative, dribbling well and has a great left foot. His technique and vision are outstanding,” he said. “The way he plays he is reminiscent of Messi. Yussi is a big Messi fan. He loves everything Messi does. He used to always play in his shirts.”
Barcelona Turn To Youth
The arrival of Demir would see Barca add yet another highly-rated youngster to the ranks to join a squad packed full of youthful talent. The Catalan giants brought in starlets Pedri and Francisco Trincao last summer who have gone on to enjoy regular football under Ronald Koeman.
The Dutchman has also been happy to hand game time to young players who have come through the academy. Oscar Mingueza, Ilaix Moriba, Ronald Araujo, and Riqui Puig have all featured this season and look to have big futures ahead of them at the club.
Teenage forward Ansu Fati is another player who excites fans and has made a big impact at the club since making his debut in 2019. Fati has been out of action since undergoing knee surgery in November but will be a big boost to Barca when he does return.
The abundance of young talent in and around the first team at Barca means the future does look bright as the club seek to build a new and exciting team that can once again dominate at home and in Europe.
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Barcelona Close to Signing New ‘Austrian Messi:’ Report