Barca Universal
·23 September 2026
Barcelona battle with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United for 15-year-old jewel
Barcelona battle with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United for 15-year-old jewel | OneFootball
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FC Barcelona continue to keep a close eye on the young talents beginning to make a name for themselves in Europe.
After showing interest in JJ Gabriel of Manchester United, and making progress in signing the 15-year-old gem, another name has now emerged on the radars of the Blaugrana.
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Barcelona scout Gabriel Rajkovic
Indeed, according TV 2 Direkte (h/t SPORT), Barcelona have set their sights on teenage attacker Gabriel Rajkovic of Valerenga.
The 15-year-old striker is making a big impact in Norwegian football and has already attracted interest from several major European clubs, including the La Liga champions.
As per the report, Barça representatives were in the stands for the match between Valerenga and Bodo/Glimt in August to scout the teenager.
As it so happened, Rajkovic scored his first Eliteserien goal in that very game and became the youngest goalscorer in the competition’s history at 15 years, five months and 15 days.
Despite being only 15 years old, he has already made 15 appearances for Valerenga’s first team, scoring three and assisting one goal.
The striker has represented Norway at youth level, but his international future could still take a different path. After all, he could potentially represent Serbia, Belgium or Morocco, because of his family background.
Plenty of competition
Barça are not the only club monitoring Rajkovic. According to the report, Premier League giants Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have also shown an interest in the young striker.
Rajkovic is under contract with Valerenga until the end of 2028, but he cannot move abroad immediately. He will turn 16 on 23 February 2027, meaning next summer will be the first opportunity for a foreign club to sign him under the relevant regulations.
The situation is different for Premier League clubs. Following Brexit, English clubs face greater restrictions when it comes to signing young players from countries in the European Union.
Barça, meanwhile, could have an opportunity to move ahead of the Premier League clubs once Rajkovic turns 16.
At Valerenga, they are well aware of the attention surrounding their young striker and hope he could eventually become one of the biggest sales in Norwegian football history.
The report even suggests that a future transfer could reach a minimum figure of around €18 million, although it is far too early to put a definitive valuation on the player.
While Europe’s biggest clubs continue to monitor his progress, the player himself is taking a much more measured approach.
Rajkovic has already made it clear that his priority is to continue developing at Valerenga and establish himself in the first team:
“I want to be here and continue my development,” he previously said when asked about interest from other clubs.
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