"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."
"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."
Barcelona identified 18-year-old left-footed centre-back Ruud Nijstad as a potential long-term target and opened talks in January. Nijstad has already featured in 12 first-team matches for Twente, starting several and gaining significant senior experience. Barcelona could only offer a reserve-team role with opportunities to train with the first team, which did not align with Nijstad's preference for immediate regular senior minutes. Nijstad prioritizes consistent first-team development and now has a verbal agreement to sign a long-term contract with Twente to continue his progression at senior level.
Read at Barca Universal
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