12:05h CEST

Carles Aleñá has not yet renewed his contract at Barcelona, opening the door to potential suitors for the La Masia graduate.

Aleñá Barcelona

Midfielder

Spain

Aleñá: Tottenham in prime position

There are many clubs interested in Aleñá, but Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur are among the best placed to secure his signature.

Tottenham would offer the 19-year-old midfielder a place in the first team squad. Aleñá has already tasted first-team action with Barça, making his debut in April 2017 as a substitute for Ivan Rakitic in an away victory at Granada. Barcelona have been keen to extend his contract for some time, and new coach Ernesto Valverde shares that desire. Yet the Azulgrana will have to offer Aleñá something more concrete than words.

Aleñá’s contract with Barcelona expires on 30 June 2018. As his current deal enters its final year on 1 July, his release clause will rise from €3m to €12m. Yet if a club were to swoop before the end of June, he would leave for a pittance.

Full screen Aleñá: Tottenham well placed to sign Barça midfielder

Barcelona need to move quickly

Aleñá’s departure would represent a blow for La Masia, at a time when the much-heralded youth set up is suffering. Jordi Mboula signed for Monaco last week, while Eric García, a 16 year old represented by the same agents as Aleñá, is ready to pack his bags and move to Manchester City. Barcelona must move quickly to avoid losing a third jewel from their youth setup.

The player stated yesterday that he wants to “relax” before beginning to “think about what to do”. There will be a definitive outcome within the next few days, but the danger for Barcelona is that a phone call arrives from Mauricio Pochettino.