Spanish team wants to sign Barcelona defensive prodigy after Copa Del Rey defeat | OneFootball

Barcelona recently advanced to the quarterfinals of the Copa Del Rey thanks to a 2-0 win over Racing Santander that extended the club’s winning run to 11 consecutive matches in all competitions.

It was a relatively straightforward evening for a Barça team, which has done business with Racing Santander in the past, most recently signing Pablo Torre.

Now, it appears Racing are set to raid Barcelona this January for the services of one of their star talents at La Masia.

Racing Santander eye move for Xavi Espart

According to Diario AS, Racing Santander are interested in the services of Xavi Espart, a young right-back with a lot of promise.

Espart was expected to make his debut for Barcelona during the first half of the season. But coach Hansi Flick continued to prefer either Jules Kounde or Eric Garcia in the position.

Cancelo’s arrival is likely to impact Espart’s game time. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)

Now, with Barcelona signing Joao Cancelo, it is unlikely Espart will get opportunities anytime soon, thus paving the way for a potential move away from the club.

The Catalans are already reeling from youth prodigy Pedro Fernandez ‘Dro”s decision to leave the club amid a lack of game-time, with PSG emerging as the frontrunner to secure his services.

However, it appears Racing Santander only wants a loan deal for Espart, which could make sense as Barcelona would ideally want the young right-back to get some game-time before making himself ready for first-team action.

Racing’s interest in Xavi Espart comes on the back of expectations that Clement Michelin will leave the club, which could leave a hole in the right-back department. Espart, therefore, could prove to be an excellent short-term solution.