According to German publication BILD (h/t SPORT), Barcelona are tracking the progress of teenage German prodigy Saido Balde, who plies his trade with Hamburg’s youth sides.
Balde, just 14 years of age, is already playing ahead of his age-group levels. The teenager is a right-winger and is currently a part of the German outfit’s Under-17 setup.
In the ongoing campaign, the teenager has produced a tally of three goals and four assists in just 15 league appearances at the Under-17 level.
Invariably, Balde’s performances at the youth level have caught the eyes of several clubs within Germany, while Barcelona are also understood to have taken an interest in the youngster.
The Catalans have been focusing on strengthening the La Masia ranks so that they can keep producing talent through the academy who can step up and make a difference at the first-team level.
They have recently recruited the likes of Lucas Roman and Julian Araujo while Ronaldinho’s son, Joao Mendes has also signed for the Barcelona academy. The club are also working to tie down La Masia sensation Lamine Yamal to a new contract.
Now, the Blaugrana have set their sights on Saido Balde of Hamburg. The young winger, who will turn 15 in June, has a contract with the club that expires next year.
Hamburg are keen on keeping their exciting prospect at the club, but interest from Barcelona could sway the youngster to consider a switch and join La Masia.