Ajax, Borussia Dortmund interested in Fabio Blanco

Ajax and Borussia Dortmund are reportedly keen on signing Spanish prodigy Fabio Blanco from Barcelona in the summer transfer window.

According to a report by Spanish outlet AS, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund have set their sights on Fabio Blanco over a possible move in the summer transfer window. Barcelona could sell the Spanish prodigy ahead of the 2022/23 season but include a buyback clause in the deal.

Fabio Blanco has spent most of his formative years in Spain. The 18-year-old wonderkid started at the UD Almeria academy before moving to Valencia. After exponentially growing in stature at Valencia, the teenage prodigy became a highly sought-after figure in the market. And Eintracht Frankfurt won the race to sign Blanco last summer.

The Bundesliga outfit had promised first-team minutes to the Spanish whizkid to secure his signature, but he was instead relegated to the under-19 side. Blanco’s frustrations eventually boiled over, and he returned to his homeland by joining Barcelona in the summer transfer window.

While Blanco is yet to make his first-team debut for Barcelona, he has still played professional football with Barcelona B. And the 18-year-old has been a revelation for the team, scoring four goals in 11 appearances thus far. The Spaniard is destined for big things, and Xavi Hernandez recently singled him out for praise.

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But Blanco could be on the move again, with Ajax and Borussia Dortmund keen on prising him away from Barcelona in the summer transfer window. The two clubs are renowned for grooming young players before making them world-class stars, with Erling Haaland, Jadon Sancho, Matthijs de Ligt and Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong some of the recent examples.

Moving to either Ajax or Borussia Dortmund might thus not be a bad idea, considering he will also feature in the UEFA Champions League, provided both clubs have him in their first-team plans. And Barcelona will not be opposed to the idea of selling Blanco either, even though he could potentially be a long-term replacement for Adama Traore, who is linked with Everton.

The Catalan giants will insert a buyback clause in the deal if they decide to part with him in the summer transfer window. Blanco can gain valuable first-team experience for a few years before returning to Barcelona to become a pivotal figure for the Blaugrana. But it will be interesting to see if the Spanish prodigy departs from Spain just six months after returning.