FC Barcelona have beaten Manchester City and Real Madrid to one of Catalan youth football’s emerging stars.
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FC Barcelona have beaten heavyweight rivals such as Real Madrid and Manchester City to breakout teenage talent Enzo Perez according to SPORT, which cited anonymous sources.
Perez was originally on La Masia’s books from 2020 to 2023, after being scouted and signed from Sant Cugat in the Catalan capital’s mountainous northwestern suburbs.
It’s at Girona where the youngster has kicked on, however, with Perez playing a pivotal role in a surprise U-14 title win this term.
Catalonia’s prestigious Divisió d’Honor (Honor Division) pits the autonomous region’s best clubs against one another, which includes the acadamies of FC Barcelona and Espanyol plus renowned developers of youth talent Damm which oversaw Joan Garcia’s trajectory.
With Perez a protagonist in Girona clinching what is regarded as one of the world’s toughest youth championships, it’s no surprise that the midfielder has attracted interest across Europe.
Perez looks set to return to FC Barcelona
Given Girona belongs to the Manchester City Group, the Etihad giants wanted Perez to continue with its Catalan arm before then heading north to England upon turning 18 as per FIFA rules that permit international transfers before that age.
Furthermore, Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Villarreal have shown interest too. And while Perez’s family have assessed all the offers tabled to them, it is the player that has ultimately decided his fate and where he wants to play next.
That’ll be Barça, as the prodigy aims to make it second time lucky with the La Liga champions and hopefully emulate homegrown products such as Gavi with whom he shares the number 6.
As explained by SPORT, Perez “has a wonderful understanding of how to position himself, turn, and flawlessly move the ball long, as well as being very precise in short play”.
He can also function as a number 8, perhaps in the vein of another former academy icon in Andres Iniesta, meaning he brings versatility akin to Gavi.
Also helping Girona’s U-15 outfit this season, Perez has demonstrated maturity beyond his years as well as an ability to match the physical demands that step up entails in Catalan youth football.
Helping them win the league by five points over FC Barcelona, Perez scored 11 goals in 29 apperances for Girona’s U-14s this season.