Barcelona respond to Real Madrid's deal by moving for Germany's gem

The Catalan club avoids expensive deals

JJ Gabriel has begun the countdown to the official announcement of his move to Real Madrid. It's a clear coup in the transfer market, albeit at an astronomical price. Sources close to the deal reckon signing the 16-year-old midfielder will cost close to 15 million euros, according to the Catalan newspaper "Sport".

Real Madrid wanted Gabriel at any price, and Barcelona long considered the agreement between the two parties a done deal. The close relationship between Deco and the English player's agent, Ali Barat, is no coincidence either. Barcelona's sporting director tracked every twist of the auction over the deal.

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Gabriel looks a future star to Barcelona, the newspaper says, but Europe is brimming with young players who could explode in the near future at a level equal to or beyond his. It added: "At Barcelona they stress that they will not do anything foolish for the sake of young players, and they point to the existence of several emerging talents, such as the young German Nico Ilicevic".

In the last few hours, the Croatian press has insisted Barcelona's interest in Nico Ilicevic goes beyond merely monitoring one of those exceptional emerging talents. It followed Adolf Hutter, the Eintracht Frankfurt coach, handing him his Bundesliga debut in the final minutes against Hamburg, just after he turned 16 last week.

His appearance lasted only around 10 minutes. Hutter saw enough. Nico's level at the end of the match left the coach impressed, and he said: "In just six or seven minutes, he showed much more than was expected. He was exceptional, but this does not surprise me, because he showed that in training too".

Nico is a classic attacking midfielder who can play in several areas of midfield, with easy access to the edge of the penalty area, and he possesses an astonishing left foot, according to "Sport".

Despite his young age, and the fact that his height has not reached 1.80 metres, he stands out for his competitiveness and maturity. He's an international with Germany's youth teams, and it's no coincidence that he's the nephew of Ivo Ilicevic, the prominent Croatian international.

The Croatian Federation has already made contact with Nico and those around him to prepare for a possible call-up to the senior Croatian national team.

German reports confirm that scouts from Barcelona, Manchester City and Chelsea, and of course Bayern Munich, are watching Nico's every move. The newspaper "Bild" went further and confirmed Real Madrid are following him. Over in Italy, "Sky" reported that Inter and Milan have also sent envoys to track the progress of "the great German jewel" up close.

Nico Ilicevic is only 16, and he has signed a contract with Eintracht that runs until he turns 18. Transfer market rumours have already driven up the value of a player who needs his salary adjusted quickly. The first disputes between player and club were not slow to emerge.

Eintracht are said to have sounded out those around the player to secure his future and avoid a possible departure without a significant economic return. The player and his family responded positively, but on one condition: that an additional clause be included to ease an exit "at a reasonable price" if an offer arrives from one of the major European clubs.

The newspaper concluded: "Nico is admired by Barcelona, and many other major European clubs. The Catalan club has watched him live, and regularly monitors his personal and footballing development. It is another talent added to the list for the future".