A new suitor have positioned themselves firmly in the race for up-and-coming Barcelona defender Mikayil Faye.
That’s according to Diario Sport, who point towards Portuguese giants Porto as the club in question.
Former Barcelona director Andoni Zubizarreta was recently appointed to the position of sporting director on the Porto board.
And, as one of his first orders of business, the Spaniard is understood to have set his sights firmly on a deal for Faye.
The 19-year-old, fresh off a stellar campaign with Barca Atlètic, is a man in demand ahead of the opening of the summer transfer window.
Zubizarreta, though, is aiming to beat out the competition, by offering up favourable terms to his counterparts at the Camp Nou.
Barcelona, it is understood, are open to the prospect of bidding Faye farewell for the time being, amid something of an overbooking at the heart of the club’s backline.
However, they would like to maintain control over the Senegalese’s long-term future.
Porto, in turn, could offer up a similar formula to that which brought Nico González to the club from Barcelona last summer.
That is, a permanent transfer, featuring a buyback option down the line.
Such a move could prove the most beneficial for all parties involved.
Conor Laird | GSFN
