Barcelona and PSG locked in battle over 16-year-old Malian midfied gem – Report | OneFootball

One of the core parts of the FC Barcelona identity has long been the emphasis on youth talent development, and this aspect of the Catalan club has been very visible in recent years.

In addition to developing talent through their ranks, the Blaugranes have also been scouting some of the most promising young players in the world and have incorporated several into their youth system.

Africa has been one of their preferred scouting regions, and one of the continent’s brightest prospects who recently seemed close to joining Barcelona is the attacking midfielder Aboubacar Maiga, still only 16 years old, and a product of the Africa Foot Academy.

He has already stood out in Mali’s youth teams and participated in several training sessions with Barcelona last summer. The plan was always to sign him officially once he turned 18.

However, the operation has taken a new turn, as PSG have also shown strong interest in Maiga. According to SPORT, the youngster recently trained at PSG’s facilities and even represented the French club in the Olympia Future Cup held at Ajax’s facilities.

According to the report, this was a test to evaluate Maiga’s competitive level, and PSG’s coaches will decide whether to offer him a contract once he turns 18.

This is another chapter in the growing rivalry between Barcelona and PSG over young talent. In recent months, PSG secured Dro Fernandez from Barcelona. At the same time, the agents of Emmanuel Mbemba, one of PSG’s top young center-backs, approached Barça after rejecting PSG’s first contract renewal offer.

Thus, this is another transfer operation that puts Barcelona and PSG head to head, after the recent cases involving Dro Fernandez and Emmanuel Mbemba.