FC Barcelona has travelled to the Netherlands to convince a highly-rated youngster not to renew his contract and instead agree to join the La Liga giant according to Wfcgroningen and SPORT, who both cited anonymous sources.
Before the weekend, it was reported by figures such as transfer market expert Matteo Moretto that Barca is nearing an agreement for Juwensley Onstein, a talented Genk youth academy star regarded as one of Europe’s most promising center backs and a possible long-term partner for Pau Cubarsi.
Now however, it seems that Barca is also setting its sights on another left-footed central defender in Ruud Nijstad.
As opposed to Onstein, 18-year-old Nijstad has already made six first team appearances for his club, FC Twente, since debuting in the professional ranks in 2025.
Graduating from the Dutch top flight outfit’s youth academy, his contract expires in mid-2027, and Barca is reportedly trying to convince him not to put pen to paper on an extension.
Wfcgroningen says that the Catalans sent a delegation to the Netherlands to meet with the player and his camp regarding that matter.
And as by summer Nijstad will have 12 months or less remaining on his contract, Barca could negotiate a cut fee with his current employers, who won’t want to lose him for free later down the line.
If Nijstad lives up to his potential and the deal comes off, it could turn out to be a great coup for a club appearing close to losing Dro Fernandez to Paris Saint-Germain for a relative pittance of €6-10 million ($7.1-11.9 million).
Does FC Barcelona need Nijstad?
Barca certainly needs a left-footed center back for the future to, as said, partner Pau Cubarsi in the long-term.
At present, Gerard Martin is partnering the La Masia product while other options such as Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen are in and out of the fold with injuries or personal issues.
Eric Garcia is often a solid option in that area of the pitch too, but Hansi Flick’s Swiss Army knife is required to operate at right back and in defensive midfield in other moments.
Simultaneously, it seems like it would be Nijstad or Onstein and not both, though capturing the youngsters and seeing which one kicks on, while perhaps selling the other for a premium to the Premier League, would be a wise strategy from FC Barcelona.