> Premier League trio Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United are among the clubs ready to rival Barcelona for Dutch defensive prodigy Ruud Nijstad, TEAMtalk can reveal.
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> The FC Twente centre‑half has emerged as one of Europe’s most-watched teenage defenders after breaking through this season, and his performances have triggered a scramble among elite recruitment departments.
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> Barcelona have been pushing hardest in recent months, holding talks in an attempt to strike an early deal for the 18‑year‑old. However, sources close to the negotiations tell us that the Catalan giants were reluctant to go beyond €10million, a figure coming from the Twente side of discussions. On top of that, Nijstad himself was understood to be unconvinced by the development plan being presented to him within Barça’s system, raising doubts about whether the move would truly accelerate his career.
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> Barca’s hesitation has now opened the door for a host of clubs and sources have told us that more than a dozen sides across Europe are tracking Nijstad, including Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig — all of whom have sent scouts repeatedly in recent weeks.