Barcelona’s long-standing pursuit of developing African talent has been complicated by Paris Saint-Germain’s entry into the race for highly rated youngster Aboubacar Maiga.
According to recent SPORT reports, the Catalan giants are no longer alone in their enthusiasm for the man called the “Malian Messi”.
Barcelona’s interest in Maiga isn’t new. In reality, the club took genuine efforts last year to safeguard his future.
Barcelona were quite close.
After being extensively observed by the scouting department, the teenage midfielder was given permission to fly to Spain for an initial assessment period.
During that time, Maiga spent many days in Barcelona, adjusting to the club’s environment and engaging in numerous training sessions.
The experience made a lasting impression on both parties, with everything pointing to a long-term partnership.
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The intention was for the player to continue his growth in his native country until he reached the age of 18, which is the minimum age required to accomplish an international transfer under FIFA standards, before finalizing the move.
However, just as things appeared to be going nicely, a new twist surfaced.
PSG entered the race.
In a surprise turn of events, Maiga was recently spotted in Paris, where PSG quickly assessed his potential.
According to the story, the French champions asked the boy for a tryout at their academy.
PSG went a step further by adding Maiga in their roster for the famous Olympia Future Cup, a competitive platform that pits young players against elite opponents.
It implies that PSG is not only monitoring, but actively considering a long-term commitment in Malian talent.
Following the competition, the club’s coaching staff will make a final judgment on whether to proceed with a contract offer, which would most likely be activated as soon as the player turns 18.
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