Manchester City have set their sights on a Barcelona defender and are preparing a shock move to bring him to the Etihad.
As the summer transfer window enters its final stretch, cross-border business between European powerhouses continues to accelerate with unexpected squad maneuvers.
While negotiations between both clubs have primarily focused on senior transactions in recent weeks, executives at the Etihad Stadium have quietly turned their focus toward poaching an elite academy gem from Spotify Camp Nou.
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona have held direct discussions with the player regarding a potential departure before the deadline.
The 19-year-old La Masia starlet at the center of this burgeoning transfer tug-of-war is Tommy Marques.
Crucially, the Catalan hierarchy is open to facilitating a deal, provided it is structured as a permanent transfer featuring a buyback clause and a sell-on percentage.
This would allow Barcelona to maintain long-term leverage over Marques’s development while navigating immediate financial parameters.
Manchester City’s strategy for the young Spaniard extends beyond a standard academy signing.
Pep Guardiola’s side plan to immediately dispatch Marques on loan to sister club Girona within the City Football Group structure, offering him guaranteed first-team La Liga experience.
However, the Premier League champions face competition from abroad.
Portuguese outfit Braga, led by former Manchester City youth coach Carlos Vicens, are pushing hard for his signature, while Bundesliga contenders Borussia Dortmund are also closely monitoring the youngster’s situation following recent transfers with Barcelona.
The decision to greenlight Marques’s departure stems directly from Barcelona’s active pursuit of senior midfield reinforcements.
With high-profile arrivals set to further congest Hansi Flick’s tactical setup, first-team opportunities for young academy options have narrowed significantly.
Rather than keeping the versatile gem in a limited rotational role, Barcelona view a structured exit with a buyback option as the optimal path.
As talks gather momentum, Marques appears increasingly likely to embark on a new chapter within Manchester City Football Group’s network.
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