Tottenham Hotspur considering a move for BarcelonaTeenage central defender Mikayil Faye of La Liga side Girona is also interested, according to Spanish publication Sport.
Barcelona signed the Senegalese centre-back this summer and Faye has been impressive for the Spanish team's reserve team. Xavi Hernández recently called him up to the first team for a League match although the player has not yet made his debut.
Faye has played 24 times for Barça Atlético this season and has scored three goals. A physically dominant defender who is equally adept with the ball at his feet, the 19-year-old has all the ingredients to become a top centre-back in the future. It's just an added advantage that he is left-handed.
When Faye signed for Barcelona, she signed a four-year contract with a £341m termination clause. The Spanish giants have this tendency to hand out huge release clauses to top prospects to secure their future at the club, but it remains to be seen whether they would be willing to negotiate a fee for the Senegalese centre-back.
problem of abundance
Barcelona has several centre-backs at its disposal. The Spanish club has Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde, Íñigo Martínez and Pau Cubarsi who can play in that position. Eric García, on loan at Girona, is also expected to return before next season.
Given all the names ahead of her, it is highly unlikely that Faye will have a regular first-team career. Therefore, the report says that Barcelona want to loan him out, sell him with a buy-back clause or, if they get a good fee, sell him outright next summer. This is where Tottenham are interested.
The Spurs have shown a significant change in strategy in the transfer market since the arrival of Ange Postecoglou. They have signed young, relatively unknown products with a high ceiling. Players like Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario have been chosen so far.
Signing someone like Mikayil Faye, who could be Micky van de Ven's backup, could be the move in the future. The Dutch centre-back's explosive playing style makes him quite susceptible to injuries. Having a comparable replacement for him in the team would be ideal. Let's see if the Spurs can reach an agreement with Barcelona for the Senegalese defender.
