FC Barcelona's highly anticipated young prospect, Noah Darvish (19), who was brought in with great expectations in 2023, is increasingly heading towards leaving Camp Nou. A key player for the German youth national team, he is currently participating in the European U-19 Championship, but has not left a strong impression at Barcelona Athletic (the reserve team).
Spain's Mundo Deportivo reported on the 16th (Korean time) that "interest in Noah Darvish is growing in Germany. With Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund entering the race to sign him, Barcelona finds itself at a crossroads in making a decision."
Darvish is a talented player who led the U-17 German national team to victories in both the Euro and World Cup, and Barcelona invested about €2.5 million (approximately 3.9 billion won) to acquire him in 2023. However, he has not secured a starting position under either coach Albert Sanchez or coach Sergi Milá at Barcelona Athletic, and his growth has not met expectations.
New head coach Hansi Flick has reportedly expressed interest in Darvish's potential, but the midfielder position in Barcelona's first team is already saturated. There is growing persuasive reasoning within the club that "now is the right time to recover the investment," and they are exploring a plan to sort out his future through a 'sale + buy-back option' structure. This approach is similar to what they are trying to implement in negotiations with players such as Pablo Torre and Iñaki Peña, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Barcelona wants to fully transfer Darvish but insert a relatively inexpensive buy-back clause into the agreement, considering his future growth. According to 'Bild,' Dortmund has reportedly reacted positively to this condition and is ready to sit down for formal negotiations.
Meanwhile, Darvish is currently in Group B of the Euro U-19 Championship, competing alongside England, Norway, and the Netherlands. His performance on the European stage is expected to be a key factor in determining the direction of the transfer market.
With Dortmund, known for its expertise in investing in young prospects, and Bayern Munich, boasting the best system in Germany, competing fiercely for him, Darvish's next destination has emerged as a hot topic in European youth football.
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