La Liga side looking to poach Spain and Barcelona wonderkid

When at one stage it looked as though Barcelona might not be able to bring in any reinforcements for their forward line this summer, one name continued to be mentioned by those paying close attention to the goings on at Can Barca: Jan Virgili. The teenage starlet is developing something of a reputation after a brilliant second half of the season.

Virgili, 18, is a right-footed winger who tends to operate off the left, but is more than capable on the right flank too. He played on the right side for Barca Atletic in the final few months of the season, and was one of the main reasons that they came close to securing survival.

He was also a key part of Barcelona’s Youth League triumph, scoring four goals and giving three assists in their 10 games on the way to the trophy. Despite making just eight starts, Virgili also scored four times and gave two assists for Barca Atletic, becoming a regular starter in the final stretch.

This summer, Virgili also made inroads into the Spain under-19s side, and scored and assisted in their 6-5 extra time triumph over Germany at the under-19 Euros. La Roja went on to lose the final 1-0 to the Netherlands, but Virgili ended the tournament with four goal contributions in four games.

According to Jijantes, via MD, RCD Mallorca are interested in swiping Virgili from Barcelona. He was recently returned to Barca Atletic after completing some of preseason with the first team, but it is not clear if he is keen to play in the fourth tier having looked impressive in the third – a familiar problem for Barcelona this summer.

Mallorca have already signed Pablo Torre this summer, and Los Bermellones are keen on Virgili. Four Segunda teams have also enquired about his situation; it is not clear whether it would be a loan move or a permanent sale. Virgili is under contract until 2027, but after the signing of Marcus Rashford, would have limited opportunities to make it into the first team this season.