Barcelona always keeps a close eye on all the young players who might be amenable to signing and who have the potential to become Barcelona players in the medium or long term. A club the size of Blaugrana has spotters and informers on every corner where football is played, even on modest teams like those competing in the English third division. It should be noted, however, that the third division is already considered a professional tier in England. Actually, this is the fourth.
And in the third division, it seems that there is a player who has attracted the attention of major European clubs, because not only Barcelona will be behind his steps, but Real Madrid and Bayern are also following his position. This is a young footballer named Charlie O’Connell, who belongs to Peterborough United. In fact, his involvement with the first team has been very limited, playing a total of three matches this season. At the age of 19, one of the characteristics that at first glance attracts the most attention is his versatility, because according to what appears on the Transfermarkt portal, although his main position is as a centre-back, he can also act as a right-back and as a defensive midfielder
He was hardly talked about, and in Spain his existence was unknown until it was his own coach in Peterborough United’s first team that dropped the bomb. “The past few months have been disappointing for him. We offered him a new four-and-a-half-year contract almost immediately after the Plymouth game, but unfortunately Charlie didn’t sign. Apparently his agent told him Barcelona was behind him, coach Grant McCann explained, “Real Madrid and Bayern are behind him. This is really frustrating for us
The young midfielder’s contract expires on June 30, because the club that wants to sign him will do so as a free agent. No matter which club he takes, he will be registered with the subsidiary, because although he has very good prospects, he still has a lot to develop. The England-born defender hasn’t spoken out, and his social media activity is very scarce
But given that, it was not necessary for him to attract the attention of clubs of the size of those mentioned above. Even if his name is, in all likelihood, just one of the hundreds of footballers who have passed across Mathieu Alemany’s table, it cannot be ruled out that, next summer, we will see Charlie O’Connell playing at Johan Cruyff’s stadium in a jersey. From the Barcelona branch. Or maybe in Ciutat Esportiva Juan Gamper Dibas in white merengue. Or in Bavaria, with the Bayern crest on the chest
