Spanish youth football site Airfutol report that Real Madrid Castilla winger and Spanish U-19 international Pablo Sarabia (18), considered as the most promising youngster currently in Real Madrid’s youth academy, is strongly being linked with a move to FC Barcelona.

Sarabia’s contract with Madrid ends with the current season and has so far not signed a professional contract with Madrid. Therefore the youngster is now available to sign for any team in the coming days, with FC Barcelona being the favourites to capture him. Representatives from the Catalan club have already spoken with the footballer’s representatives, so he could be incorporated into Pep Guardiola’s team as of next season. The player could leave Madrid by simply paying a compensation for his training rights.

It should be remembered that Madrid have committed a similar mistake earlier, a few years ago when they let Juan Mata (21) go on a free transfer to Valencia, after failing to provide the player with a professional contract with the first team. It seems now that a new case has re-emerged. Sarabia is by far regarded as the best player currently plying his trade at Real Madrid’s academy, but the whites have yet to make any concrete offer, which means the player is now open to have contact with any team that shows interest in him.

Many will wonder about the non-aggression pact between Barcelona and Madrid, which meant that no transfers should take place between the two clubs, which was the reason Spanish international Juan Mata (21) could not end up in the Catalan club a few years ago. This pact though, was broken by Real Madrid themselves, a few months ago, when they tried to negotiate with Barca Atletic youngster Marc Bartra (19). The central defender, who has already debuted with the first team this season (as a subsitute in the 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid) and whose contract ends after the current season, has thus declined the Merengues’ offer and now looks set to renew his contract with the Catalan club.

On the renewal of Sarabia, Real Madrid Sporting Direcor Miguel Pardeza had this to say a few days ago:
“There are differences in wages and, above all, the boy’s future. All we want is to reach a solution and that Sarabia is a part of the club’s future. If he will be in the first team or not, I do not know. Being in the first team is not a gift for anyone, it is a reward you get when you are established and developed sufficiently. That’s the only way to reach the first team.”

The little interest shown by Real Madrid to renew Sarabia’s contract and the discontent of the player is well known by the management at FC Barcelona. They have already contacted the player’s surroundings so as to make a proposal to sign the youngster for the Catalan club after June 30 this year, when the player’s current contract ends. Arsenal and Racing Santander are the other teams that have shown interest in the player’s signature.

A video of Pablo Sarabia