Barcelona are in talks over a contract extension for their exciting young central defender Pau Cubarsi.
The 17-year-old’s current contract expires in the summer of 2026, but Barca plan to upgrade him and grant him first-team status as soon as possible. The defender is still under contract with the academy which includes a release clause of €10 million (£8.5 million; $10.6 million at current rates) – a standard figure among La Masia talent .
Barcelona plan to increase this amount to €1 billion, as they also did with 16-year-old striker Lamine Yamal’s new three-year contract in October.
Cubarsi’s wish is to stay at the club and there are no concerns about his future in that regard. He is a lifelong Barca fan and wants to succeed at the club – as he has proven by rejecting offers in the past.
More than a year ago, Cubarsi attracted interest from Manchester City. Scouts identified him as a player who would immediately fit into the club’s style of play.
Brexit rules on English clubs signing foreign players under the age of 18 meant the City Football Group planned to play Cubarsi for Girona as a stepping stone before moving to Manchester. Cubarsi was born near Girona and had previously played for their youth teams before joining Barca in 2018.
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However, the player and his camp decided to stay. Coupled with Cubarsi being a childhood fan, they could be considering a route to first-team football at Barcelona.
That path accelerated at the start of this season when Cubarsi was promoted from the youth ranks to the reserve team that competes in Spain’s third tier – Barcelona Atletic – formerly known as Barca B.
Cubarsi hasn’t been fazed at all by the promotion – just as he has been since earning a regular place in Xavi’s first team following his La Liga debut in January, the day before his 17th birthday .
He has now made 16 appearances for Barça. His performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League quarter-final first leg last week was the latest example of his remarkable talent for a player of such tender years. In March he also made his international debut for Spain.
A potential complication remains, as Barcelona will need to improve their salary cap for Cubarsi’s new contract to be officially recognized by La Liga.
As the club is currently spending more than allowed on salaries, the competition body will not allow it to register new players.
However, given that Cubarsi is already registered under the terms of his current contract with the academy, this would not impact his immediate availability.
Barcelona and Cubarsi’s camp are confident a new deal will be signed. Club sources said Athleticism that his new contract could follow the formula that saw Yamal extend in the fall.
Yamal signed a three-year contract because, according to Spanish law, a player under the age of 18 cannot sign a longer contract. However, Barca sources claim that everything is already agreed for Yamal to put pen to paper on a longer extension as soon as he turns 18, in July 2025.
A similar deal is now expected to be reached with Cubarsi, who turns 18 in January 2025.
Barcelona host PSG in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at the Camp Nou on Tuesday evening.
(Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)