Barcelona is to seal the future of one of their brightest young stars, 19-year-old goalkeeper.
The Catalan club is ready to offer the stopper a new contract, putting an end to a period of speculation regarding his future.
His potential has placed him at the top of the list as a candidate to be the club’s long-term answer in goal, and the new contract would cement his future in Barcelona’s plans.
According to Diario Sport, the player is Aron Yaakobishvili.
Yaakobishvili, who joined Barcelona in 2022, has spent three seasons at the club and has impressed the coaches with his rapid development, both physically and mentally.
The negotiations themselves were not, however, tension-free.
Barcelona also seeking exits so that Aron Yaakobishvili may possibly play for the first team.
Yaakobishvili’s current contract was set to expire this summer, and initial discussions on an extension had collapsed, leading to the young goalkeeper being left out for a couple of games.
The club’s decision to leave him out was seen as a response to the uncertainty over his commitment.
But the opposite was the case in recent weeks when Yaakobishvili switched representation from Alaksandr Lopata’s agency to Pini Zahavi’s agency.
Zahavi is a powerful agent who also has Robert Lewandowski on his books and has close ties with Barcelona’s management, including manager Hansi Flick and president Joan Laporta.
The switch was viewed as an absolute indication that the player was committed to staying at the club.
Following the change in representation, Yaakobishvili was soon back in the first team, and Barcelona resumed contract extension negotiations.
The mood in the negotiations was better, and both parties are on an equal footing now in terms of the direction of progress.
Unless there is a last-minute twist, the young goalkeeper should soon agree to an extension, a central component of Barcelona’s strategy to create a team of the future.
With his ability, age, and regained confidence, Yaakobishvili can grow into a star goalkeeper in Barcelona’s ranks for years to come.
For a team renowned for nurturing young players, locking in his future is a move that will pay dividends in the years ahead.
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