Tottenham suffer blow in race to sign Barcelona starlet with an £84m release clause

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly face a major obstacle in their pursuit of Barcelona right-back Xavi Espart. According to TEAMtalk, the Catalan club considers the 19-year-old talent untouchable and will reject incoming bids unless presented with an exceptional offer. Espart also desires to stay and succeed at his boyhood club, which has protected him with an €100m (£84m) release clause.

Tottenham and rivals Arsenal were previously linked with a potential permanent move valued between €40m and €50m. Meanwhile, Barcelona manager Hansi Flick reportedly targets Spurs right-back Pedro Porro, prompting the writer to suggest Spurs could potentially explore including Espart in a prospective swap deal if Porro pushes for a move to Spain.