The teen centre defender Mikayil Faye of Barcelona is reportedly being considered for a transfer by Tottenham Hotspur and Girona of La Liga, as reported by the Spanish newspaper Sport.
PpAfter signing the Senegalese centre back in the summer, Faye has made a name for himself with Barcelona’s youth team. Despite not having played a single game for the first team, Xavi Hernandez just elevated him to the La Liga starting lineup for a recent match.
Faye has scored three goals in 24 appearances for Barça Atletic this year. This youngster, who is just 19 years old, possesses all the makings of a future star centre back: he is a physically strong defender who is just as skilled with the ball in his hands. That he is left-footed is merely a bonus.
The four-year deal that Faye inked with Barcelona had a release clause of £341 million. Although the Spanish giants often offer sensational release clauses to promising young players in order to lock them into long-term contracts, it is unclear if they would be willing to negotiate a cost for the Senegalese centre defender.
Plenty problem
There is a depth of central defenders available to Barcelona. The Spanish team has a number of players that can fill that role, including Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Jules Kounde, Inigo Martinez, and Pau Cubarsi. It is also thought that Eric Garcia, who is now on loan to Girona, will return in time for next season.
With so many other talented players ahead of him, Faye’s chances of earning a starting spot on the first squad are slim. So, according to the source, Barcelona is considering selling him outright this summer for a fair fee, selling him with a buy-back provision, or loaning him out. For Tottenham, this is the sweet spot.
With Ange Postecoglou at the helm, Spurs have taken a very different approach to the transfer market. They have signed promising young players with lots of untapped potential. Micky van de Ven and Guglielmo Vicario are among the most popular names so far.
One possible move for the future is to add a player like Mikayil Faye, who might provide support for Micky van de Ven. Because of his high-energy style of play, the Dutch centre back is prone to injuries. In a perfect world, the team would have a substitute for him that is exactly like him. How much can Spurs and Barcelona agree on for the Senegalese defender?