Chelsea are leading the race for Barcelona defender Xavier Mbuyamba with Juventus, Inter Milan and Real Madrid also interested, according to his agent.
The 18-year-old arrived at Camp Nou last summer from Dutch outfit MVV Maastricht.
Mbuyamba is an imposing 6’5” (1.95m) tall centre-back who is often compared with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk.
In Eerste Divisie (the Dutch second division) last season, the Netherlands U-19 star averaged an impressive 3.1 tackles, eight interceptions and 4.2 aerial dues won.
His agent, Carlos Barros, has now opened up about a potential Barcelona exit as a host of top clubs are ready to sign the defender.
Barros told Dutch outlet Voetbal International: “Almost all major clubs in Europe have asked about Xavier.”
He listed Real Madrid, Juventus and Inter Milan, among other top teams from Italy and England, as those who have shown interests in his client.
But he added: “Chelsea have the best papers. Of course we discussed this extensively last year.
“Chelsea gave a fantastic presentation. There is a unique football atmosphere there.
“You immediately sit with the first-team players during lunch and the club has outlined a very ambitious plan for Xavier.”
Chelsea outlined Frank Lampard’s youth push in their proposal and it unsurprisingly caught Barros’s attention.
“They really think that in one to two years, he can be in the first team,” the agent said. “Frank Lampard has of course already proven that he is not afraid to play with young players.
“Being in the starting line-up at Chelsea at the age of twenty would, of course, be great.”
The agent said Barcelona’s upcoming presidential election is one of the major factors why his client considers moving on to another club as the leadership change may, potentially putting Mbuyamba’s future in jeopardy.