FC Barcelona players were spied upon by Paris Saint-Germain according to SPORT.
A Paris Saint-Germain coach spied on two impressive FC Barcelona youngsters during their team’s Champions League win over Napoli on Tuesday according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.
The Blaugrana advanced to the competition’s last eight for the first time in four years, after beating the Italian Serie A holders 3-1 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate in the last 16.
A packed house in Montjuic saw the victory which was Barca’s greatest European night at home this decade. But there were more than just Culers and those of a Neapolitan persuasion in attendance.
SPORT says that Barca anonymous sources have confirmed how “at least one accredited PSG coach” witnessed the action in the Catalans’ temporary stadium while Camp Nou is being renovated.
With the Parisians getting past Barca’s domestic rivals Real Sociedad themselves in the last 16, the Blaugrana could be a potential foe in the next round as they were in 2021.
PSG knocked Barca out of the competition in said year, in what proved to be the legendary Lionel Messi’s final appearance on the competition for his boyhood club.
That summer, he memorably joined the Ligue 1 giants on a free transfer when Barca president Joan Laporta failed to make a contract extension work within Financial Fair Play limits.
The Qatar-backed behemoth would also like to make this continental campaign the last at Barca for the boy who has been dubbed Messi’s heir – even if his head coach Xavi Hernandez doesn’t like such comparisons.
MARCA reported on Saturday that PSG is willing to offer cash-strapped Barca $219 million (€200 million) for wonderkid Lamine Yamal, which Laporta will reportedly turn down if a concrete proposal is tabled.
On Thursday morning, SPORT says that the PSG coach was in situ to get a closer look not just at Lamine, but also his fellow La Masia academy graduate Pau Cubarsi.
The 17-year-old enjoyed “one of the best days of my life” this week which concluded with him winning the MVP award.
And with a $10.9 million (€10 million) release clause, Barca needs to get Cubarsi tied down to new terms ASAP in order to prevent the central defender being snatched away.
