Barcelona to continue youth focus with move for breakout La Liga star

Barcelona have a young defender with La Liga experience on their radar.

Rayo Vallecano breakout centre-back Nobel Mendy is being considered for a summer transfer, according to Fichajes.

Mendy, on loan from Real Betis, has been a revelation for Vallecano this season. Over the summer, he was rumoured to be close to a move to PSV or Rangers, but both deals broke down, leading to the Vallecano loan.

The 21-year-old, left-footed centre-back has made 14 league appearances since becoming a regular starter in late October, and he has scored twice, including in Sunday’s 3-0 shock win against city rivals Atletico Madrid.

He also helped his team to goalless draws against Real Madrid and his parent club, Betis.

Vallecano sit just a point off the relegation zone, but the club has conceded fewer goals than seven of the 10 teams in the bottom half of the table. The club is said to have a purchase option of less than €3 million for Mendy, meaning they are set to make a nice profit this summer.

Cubarsi and Mendy: Barcelona’s long-term centre-back partnership?

Barcelona have placed huge amounts of trust in centre-back Pau Cubarsi since he broke into the first team as a 17-year-old in 2023/24.

Now 19, the young Spaniard, who played in four of his country’s six World Cup Qualifying matches, is a fixture in Hansi Flick’s back line. He has made 113 appearances for Barcelona since his debut, and he played the full 120 minutes in Barcelona’s extra-time victory over Real Madrid in last season’s Copa del Rey final.

Adding Mendy next to the right-footed Cubarsi would mean that Barca is set at the position for at least the next decade.

There would not be pressure on Mendy to make an immediate impact, as the club has more experienced centre-backs in Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia on the books.

The Senegal-born defender has made only 24 first-team appearances for Paris FC, Betis, and Vallecano, but he has done enough to intrigue one of Spain’s biggest clubs already.