Barcelona teenage midfielder closer to leaving than staying at the club – report

Pau Prim has been heralded as a future first-team midfielder for FC Barcelona for the majority of his stint in La Masia.

However, with each passing day, it appears like the 18-year-old might not get to realise his dream, with his contract expiring at the end of the season and talks over a renewal going nowhere.

Pau Prim closer to the exit doors

Indeed, according to SPORT, at this point, it appears that Pau Prim is closer to leaving Barcelona than signing a new deal and staying at the club.

This comes after the 18-year-old pivot midfielder was left out of the Barça Atletic squad this past week for their match against Cultural Leonesa – not because of injury or sporting matters but due to the contract situation.

If the reserve team manager, Albert Sanchez, once again excludes the talented midfielder from the squad for Sunday’s game against Ponferradina, the picture will become much clearer.

What has gone wrong?

The 2023-24 season was a challenging one for Pau Prim. Until then, the midfielder had felt valued and appreciated at Barça. Having been part of the club since the pre-benjamín stage, he was consistently identified by coaches as the most talented No. 6 in La Masia.

Pau was a guaranteed starter and a key player in all his teams. But Marc Bernal’s unexpected leap to Barça Atletic last season disrupted that trajectory. He and his camp perceived this as a significant shift in Barcelona’s strategy to replace Sergio Busquets.

While Pau accepted Marc Casado being the first-choice in the reserve team, being overshadowed by a younger player came as a shock. Consequently, Pau alternated between Juvenil A and the reserve team without making the anticipated breakthrough.

While he has become a more prominent figure for Barça Atletic this season, featuring as a regular starter up until recently, doubts about a first-team breakthrough have made him and his camp hesitate to sign a new contract.

What’s Barcelona’s position?

As far as Barcelona are concerned, they have consistently invested in Pau Prim and valued him greatly.

The club maintain that Bernal’s unexpected promotion last season did not indicate a loss of faith in Pau. It was a technical decision reflecting players’ form and coaches’ perspectives.

Barça’s belief in Pau is evident in their offer to renew his contract. However, if the player, through his agents, shows little interest in staying, the club is entitled to prioritise other players and exclude him for the remainder of the season.

With the situation being as it is, the youngster seems closer to the exit doors and there is unlikely to be a shortage of suitors for the 18-year-old La Masia gem if he becomes available in the summer.