Amidst ongoing financial difficulties, FC Barcelona has been focusing on identifying and signing young talents with great potential to reinforce their youth and reserve ranks. The Catalans have been scouting several youth prospects from Spain and abroad with an eye on the future.Barcelona to Miss Out on Jairo Morilla
However, despite some successes, Barcelona appears set to miss out on one of their key youth targets this summer. According to The Athletic, Barcelona is poised to lose the race to sign Spanish teenage striker Jairo Morilla to arch-rivals Real Madrid.
Morilla, a 15-year-old prodigy from the Real Betis youth academy, has shown remarkable progress. Despite being part of the Under-15s, he made his debut for Betis’ Juvenil B side in the 2023/24 season, playing three age-group levels higher than his current category. Morilla has also achieved various honors with the Spanish Under-15 national team, captaining the team and now part of the Under-16 setup.
Real Madrid Secures the Signing
Barcelona had been closely monitoring Morilla, even holding talks to bring him to La Masia this summer. However, the talented young striker is now set to join Real Madrid. The 15-year-old chose Real Madrid over Barcelona and several other interested clubs, marking a significant win for the Madrid-based club in the ongoing rivalry.
This development is a setback for Barcelona, who had hoped to secure Morilla to bolster their future attacking options. The club will now need to look elsewhere to find young talents to strengthen their ranks.