Teenage Dutch talent turns down Barcelona to continue development at current club
admin_news
Barcelona’s search for young defensive talent across Europe has taken them to several emerging prospects, but not every target is ready to make the jump to the Catalan club.
One of the latest cases involves FC Twente centre-back Ruud Nijstad, whose future now appears set to remain in the Netherlands.
In recent weeks, the name Ruud Nijstad has been circulating within Barcelona’s scouting discussions.
However, a recent report from SPORT suggests that the young defender will not be heading to the club any time soon, as he has chosen to continue his development at Twente.
Why is that?
Negotiations for young talents are rarely simple, especially when players already have clear sporting ambitions.
Many of them prefer immediate first-team opportunities rather than spending time in reserve sides. That appears to have been a decisive factor in Nijstad’s case.
The 18-year-old has already taken important steps at a senior level. He has featured in 12 first-team matches for Twente, starting several of them, which has helped him gain valuable experience in professional football at a very young age.
Nijstad is a left-footed centre-back, a profile that is always in demand across Europe.
His performances have attracted the attention of multiple clubs, including Barcelona, who approached him in January with the intention of opening long-term talks ahead of a possible summer move.
However, the proposed pathway at Barcelona did not fully match the player’s current situation.
The Catalan club were only able to offer him a place in the reserve team, along with the chance to train with the first team.
For a player already getting regular minutes in senior football, that option was less appealing.
According to reports from the Netherlands, Nijstad now has a verbal agreement in place to sign a long-term contract with Twente.
The deal would allow him to continue his development with consistent first-team involvement, which appears to have been his main priority.
