Barcelona have confirmed the capture of highly-rated Dutch midfielder Ludovit Reis from Eredivisie club Groningen for a fee of €3.25 million.
Ludovit Reis is officially a Barcelona player. The Catalan giants’ official website have released an official statement confirming the midfielder’s move from Groningen on a permanent transfer, which has set Barcelona’s finances back by €3.25 million.
The Groningen youngster has agreed to a three-year deal with Barcelona, with an option to extend the deal by two more years. The official statement also mentions the presence of a release clause embedded in the contract, which stands at €100 million.
Born in this millennium, 18-year-old Reis joined Groningen in 2015 and moved up the age groups before finally taking his senior bow for the Dutch club in September 2017. The midfielder has since taken that tally to 50 senior appearances, the lion’s share of which has come this season, wherein Reis has been one of the first names on the team sheet.
The 18-year-old has also appeared seven times for the Dutch Under-19 team and will be hoping to make a splash at his new club, wherein he will be expected on July 1, when the transfer goes through. Reis was elated as he gave his first interview to Barca TV.
Reis said, as quoted by Spanish publication Sport, “It’s a dream come true for me. I’m very happy. I still can’t believe it. I dreamt about this every night when I played football with my friends. I’m coming here to learn from the other players, who are the best in the world.”
“My style is as a defensive pivot but I could play further forward as an interior. My objective is to play for the first team and learn from Busquets and the other great players,” he added.
While he is currently shown to be a part of the Barcelona B squad, the midfielder will hope to be the quintessential replacement for Sergio Busquets in the first-team in due time. Reis has stated above that he prefers playing as the defensive pivot and Barcelona will be delighted with having an option within the squad as an alternative option to their key midfield star.
