€3.5 million-rated Portuguese gem excelling in La Liga is now sparking interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid | OneFootball

Hansi Flick started his life at FC Barcelona in quite difficult circumstances, as the Blaugranes could not get him many reinforcements in the summer transfer window, while he also had to start the 2024-25 season with several of his players sidelined with injuries.

The midfield was one such area that was quite decimated with injuries in this first phase of the season, and at some points, Flick had to field Raphinha as an attacking midfielder to complete his midfield trio.

However, in the last month or so, the Catalans have seen several of their players return from the infirmary, and as things stand, Flick has a surplus of midfielders at his disposal, with Pedri, Gavi, Olmo, Frenkie, Casado, Fermin Lopez, and Pablo Torre all competing for the three positions.

Still, Barcelona continue to be linked with some emerging midfield talents for the future, and one of these talents is the Portuguese midfielder, Dario Essugo.

The midfielder is currently playing on loan in Spain with Las Palmas and is actually owned by Sporting CP. His performances in La Liga have seen his demand increase significantly, and according to Fichajes, two of the biggest clubs in Spain, Real Madrid and Barcelona, are competing with one another for his signature.

Essugo has been one of the revelations in La Liga this season, and he has been a key part of Diego Martinez’s team that has turned around its fortunes recently. His talent and maturity despite being only 19 years of age has caught the eye of several big clubs across Europe. However, the €3.5 million-rated Portuguese defensive midfield gem comes with a significant release clause of €60 million.

Although Barcelona are being linked with him, the Blaugranes do not have him as a priority because they already have a surplus of midfielders.

On the other hand, Real Madrid need to reinforce their midfield following the departure of Toni Kroos at the end of last season, and they believe Essugo could bring the desired youth and dynamism to their midfield.

Meanwhile, Sporting are keeping an eye on his development as he is set to return to them next summer. However, their plans of keeping him can be disrupted keeping in view the way he has attracted the interest of Barcelona and Real Madrid.