Barcelona will use €20m release clause to shield La Masia rising star amid growing interest | OneFootball

Given that Barcelona are always looking to call upon La Masia talents, especially under the guidance of head coach Hansi Flick, there is a risk that these players end up getting poached by other clubs. It happened with Marc Guiu and Dro Fernandez, which is why they are looking to fast-track one of the biggest stars in the academy.

Outside of La Masia fanatics, not many would have heard the name of Ebrima Tunkara, but the 16-year-old is generally considered to be among the very best prospects that Barcelona has. He’s already been involved with Barca Atletic and the U19s, and in the coming years, it’s expected that a rise to the first team will happen.

Tunkara is aiming to be one of several young players to be called upon by Flick for the start of pre-season, and given that many of the first team squad will be unavailable due to their participation at the 2026 World Cup, he has an excellent chance of being picked. But even if he does not end up in the senior squad, he is due a permanent promotion in the summer.

As per Sport, the idea is for Tunkara to be fully involved with Barca Atletic next season, with plans already in place to register him with the subsidiary. This is significant, as his release clause – which currently stands at €10m – will double to €20m, thus giving Barcelona more of a buffer in the event that any clubs come calling for his services.

Numerous clubs watching Tunkara at U17 Euros

Image via FC Barcelona

And they very well could, given Sport have noted that several clubs have kept tabs on Tunkara during the ongoing U17 Euros, where he has been a star performer for Spain. Barcelona are delighted with his development, and they hope to call upon him for many years to come – the chances of this happening will increase when his release clause does later in the summer.