As reported by Caught Offside, Chelsea are interested in signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Pablo Barrios next summer. The Premier League club are ready to offer as much as €70 million to acquire the services of the youngster.
Who is Pablo Barrios?
Pablo Barrios was part of Real Madrid’s youth academy before switching to Atletico Madrid. He went on to make his senior team debut in 2022 and has made huge strides since then. He has been impressive so far and is considered a future star.
Barrios has been a regular start for Diego Simeone’s side in the ongoing season. He has featured across 28 games and has two assists to his name. He is averaging 1.5 shots, 1.2 key passes, and 1.1 dribbles per game (stats via whoscored).
The Spanish footballer is an intelligent and versatile midfielder. He provides stability in the middle of the park and possesses strong ball-playing abilities. He can also dribble and shoot from a distance apart from working hard off the ball.
Pablo Barrios has a big release clause
Though Chelsea needs to focus on selling players to generate revenue, they will not shy away from targeting exciting players. They have some serious interest in Pablo Barrios, who has been impressive for Atletico Madrid this season so far.
Barrios’ brilliance has even made Conor Gallagher’s life difficult as the latter doesn’t get enough starts. As the youngster continues to improve with time, he can be a valuable player and a star in the making.
The 21-year-old’s contract runs until 2028 and has a €100 million release clause. The Spanish outfit is even considering to extend it until 2030. Hence, signing Barrios won’t be an easy task for Chelsea. Apart from the Blues, the likes of Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are also present in the race.
