Barcelona prospect Marc Jurado could be prepared to depart La Masia for Manchester United this summer.
The right-back, who has spent the 2019/20 season with the Catalans' Under-16 side, has turned down a three-year deal from his club, which was set to be worth €60,000 per year initially before rising to €100,000 per year by the third year of the contract.
And according to ESPN, La Blaugrana will be disappointed to see the teenager go, and are particularly upset with how the situation was conducted by his agent Carlos Lacueva – the son of a former club director.
Instead, Jurado has accepted an offer from the Red Devils, who will only have to pay less than €200,000 in compensation, as he has not signed a professional contract yet. He becomes the first player to leave La Masia for Old Trafford without having played for the first-team since Gerard Piqué, who moved to England as a 17-year-old in 2004.
So what is there to know about him? 90min took a deep dive through his career to find out.
What's His Background?
Jurado was born in Sabadell, the fifth-largest city in Catalunya in 2004 - which definitely makes us feel old in comparison.
After impressing for his local club CFU Can Rull, he joined La Masia at the age of seven, where he's spent the last nine years.
He was thought to be a major part of Barça's future plans going forward, so his departure will certainly be considered a blow for them.
What Position Does He Play?
Jurado has played predominantly as a right-back throughout his time at La Masia, but can also play further forward as a winger.
He's very quick and uses his pace effectively at both ends of the pitch. From a defensive sense, he possesses good awareness and can be found in the right position when coming up against an opposing attack.
And the teenager is very much in the mould of the modern full-back, as he's willing to beat players one-on-one and is excellent with the ball - as you'd expect from anyone who's been developed at La Masia. He's also become known for scoring goals, racking up six strikes in one season with FCB Cadete B.
What Kind of Experience Does He Have?
Honestly, not a ton.
Jurado spent the 2019/20 season playing for La Blaugrana's Cadet A team, which is essentially their Under-17 side. He impressed with his displays at that level and was widely expected to be promoted to the Juvenil (Under-19) B squad next season.
A particular highlight of his current campaign was his opening goal in a 2-1 victory over rivals Espanyol, in the Cadete A derby played in January.
He's yet to represent Spain at youth level but given how highly Barça rated him, a good season with the Juvenil side would have earned him a call-up in the future.
Anything Else Interesting?
At just 16 years old, Jurado already has just over 9,000 followers on Instagram, and you can expect that number to jump, once United fans see more of him on the pitch. He's also currently signed up with Adidas, having previously been with Puma.
The right-back has additionally scored one of the fastest goals ever scored at youth level. When playing for Barcelona's Benjamin (Under-10) C team in 2013, he robbed the ball from the kick-off and netted after just five seconds against U.D. Viladecans - a very impressive achievement.
Maybe there will be more moments like that to come from Jurado, but in a United kit instead.
Source : 90min