Barça has once again moved swiftly in the young talent market. While other clubs are still watching videos and statistics, the blaugrana club has already secured the signing of one of the great gems of Balkan soccer.
This is Croatian midfielder Lovro Chelfi. A left-footer who's just 18 years old and has already made the leap from modest NK Kustosija to Barça Atlètic.
The deal, revealed by Fabrizio Romano, was quick and quiet. The Premier League was also on the lookout and, according to sources close to the negotiation, Real Madrid even sounded out the player.
However, Barça moved ahead and convinced both the footballer's entourage and his original club. His family loved the possibility of him living at La Masia.
Left-footed, creative and with game vision
Lovro Chelfi is a left-footed attacking midfielder with remarkable technical quality. He stands out for his vision of the game, his ability to thread vertical passes, and his skill in tight spaces.
It's no coincidence that he's attracted so much international interest: he has something different, that composure with which great midfielders are built.
The club's idea is for him to start at Barça Atlètic, but it's not ruled out that, if he impresses in preseason, Flick will offer him opportunities in first team training sessions.
The signing is reminiscent of Pedri's early steps, when he arrived from Las Palmas and few knew the potential he held.
At Barça they see him as more complete than Arda Güler
The comparison is inevitable. Arda Güler was the subject of a battle between Barça and Real Madrid that Florentino Pérez ended up winning.
However, in these two years Güler hasn't managed to establish himself in the first team. He's had more injuries and doubts than minutes on the field.
Meanwhile, those who know Chelfi say that, even though he's younger, he's more tactically mature and more consistent than the Turk. "He has some of Modric's qualities, but with more attacking presence and a purer left foot," they say from Croatia. At Barça, there's total conviction that they've made the right choice.
Real Madrid ruled out signing him, considering him a "duplicate sticker" of Güler. Laporta didn't want to let him get away, convinced that they're looking at a future European soccer star.
Barça's new project begins to take shape
With this signing, Barça strengthens its commitment to young talent. It gets ahead of Europe's giants in a low-cost deal with enormous potential.
This won't be the last move in this direction. Deco is working quietly, but with a very clear roadmap: to look for gems before they explode and cost €50 million.
Lovro Chelfi is already in Barcelona. Barça smiles: they've won another strategic battle against their eternal rival.