It is no secret that FC Barcelona cannot compete with the biggest clubs in Europe for the biggest names in football, primarily due to their financial problems.
However, the Catalans still remain attentive to the market, and have set their sights on several young starlets, whom they believe have the potential to grow significantly in the future, but whose values have not risen to a very high extent yet.
As SPORT has reported, one such name on the club’s radar is Jose Melro, the rising prospect from Benfica, who is already generating comparisons with another of his club’s former players, Joao Felix. Born in 2004, the talented winger is making rapid progress with Benfica after having signed for them last season from Santarem.
The youngster’s contract with S.L. Benfica is expiring in the summer of 2025, and several clubs are interested in making use of this market opportunity in the coming summer window. The player himself wants to join a top club to continue growing, while Benfica do not want to lose him for free if they cannot tie him down with a renewal.
Playing with the S.L. Benfica youth team, Melro has scored eight goals this season, and he is expected to join the club’s reserve side this season. He trains frequently with the reserve side, while Roger Schmidt has also already called him up to train with the first team. He is also a part of the Portugal U-20 side.
FC Barcelona hold the Benfica youth team in very high regard, and the Catalans have sent their scouts several times to Portugal to see their talents in action. While most of them have release clauses too high for Barcelona, Melro’s contractual situation makes him a realistic option for the Catalans going forward.
