Who’s This 17-Year-Old Barcelona Defender Being Targeted By Manchester City? Everything You Need To Know

Scout Report – Mateu Jaume

Manchester City have recently started providing better scope for young players. Phil Foden is one of their youngest faces and he has been quite impressive for Pep Guardiola’s men. John Stones, too, has been receiving adequate playing time at the club and it looks like they want to bring in similar recruits to mould them into future stars. In that light, recent reports suggest that City are interested in a move for Barcelona starlet Mateu Jaume.

The 17-year-old was a crucial part of the Spain U17 side which put up solid displays in India, in the U17 FIFA World Cup a few weeks ago. Over the summer, Bayern Munich were also keen on landing him but they missed out and now City might be the ones who could end up signing him. Let’s take a closer look at the player’s profile.

History

Born in 2000 in Spain, Jaume is a product of Mallorca’s youth academy. In 2015, he joined Barca Juvenil B and rapidly progressed through the ranks while establishing himself as one of their most solid young defenders. He steadily impressed those people who were monitoring him, for two years, and then made the switch earlier in July to join Barca Juvenil A. He has appeared in the UEFA Youth League and also embarked on his international career with Spain recently.

The U17 FIFA World Cup provided a platform for some of the most promising young talents in the world and Jaume was quite crucial for Spain. Although they lost to England in the final, Jaume was at his best for his country.

Playing Style

Jaume loves tackling and is a solid presence at right-back. He is 5’6″ tall but the player is physically very strong, which does enable him to tackle better. He is also strong at dribbling, which helps him in maintaining the pace of the game and he makes some tricky interceptions to ward off the opponents. If shaped in the right way, Jaume has the potential to become one of the most exciting defenders.

He is light on his feet, which helps him surge ahead and stop opposition strikers from getting ahead. Jaume’s aerial strength is a bit on the weaker side but it is something he can improve as time progresses.

Jaume’s Future

The player’s contract with Barcelona runs until 2018 but if Manchester City were to knock on his door, he might be tempted to test new waters. However, this may not be the right time for him to make such a big switch. He is already playing for Barcelona – which in itself is a dream for many young boys in Spain. It will be a risky move considering City are not as renowned as Barcelona are when it comes to developing youth talent like Barcelona. Hence, perhaps Jaume should think about staying put for now and sharpening his trade further before making a move.