That Diego Almeida, FC Barcelona youth defender who is on PSG’s radar, plays for Ecuador ‘Gustavo Alfaro has to decide’

Diego Almeida Crespo returned to the center of attention in Ecuador last week since Xavi Hernández chose him along with six other youngsters from Juvenil A to train with the FC Barcelona first team.

The 17-year-old defender, born in Rubí (Catalonia) and of Ecuadorian parents, is considered one of the most promising players in the Barça youth academy.

He has been international for Spain in all the lower categories from the sub-15 to the sub-18. He was also part of a microcycle with Ecuador in August 2018 when he was summoned by the U-15 and played at least two verification matches at the Fedenador facilities, in Guayaquil.

His emergence in Blaugrana youth football has aroused interest not only from Spain and Ecuador for having his services as an international, but also from important European football clubs that seek to take him out of Barcelona. As published on Wednesday in its digital version by the newspaper Sport from Barcelona, ​​Paris SG “has tempted the player with a great offer that improves the record” that he has at FC Barcelona, ​​and there is also interest “from Italy”.

“The Parisians want to repeat the operation they already carried out with (the Dutch) Xavi Simons and with (the French) Kais Ruiz in his day and they have presented a future project to the culé youth squad with the aim of taking him to France,” he reveals Sport.

The promising defender’s environment, however, has said that Diego has a current contract with FC Barcelona (until June 30, 2023) and that they prefer to be cautious when commenting on information disseminated by the Barcelona press.

In addition, from the voice of his own family, Diego was very satisfied and happy with the casting that Xavi did last Thursday.

“Diego loved it. It was a nice experience training with Xavi. The important thing is that he already knows that there is an Almeida on the campus ”, they told EL UNIVERSO from Rubí, Spain.

At Selection level

Diego Almeida Crespo could continue playing with Spain, since it is his country of birth, or with Ecuador, which is the homeland of his parents and where it is speculated that a plan is being prepared to convince him to be a tricolor. But at the cost of what?

“That has to be decided (Gustavo) Alfaro)”, told EL UNIVERSO a person very close to the family of the culé defender.

Almeida will be 18 years old on February 12, 2022. He has not yet made his debut with Barça B, but he has already trained with the first team and has learned how some of the experienced team members develop, such as Iñaki Peña, Clément Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti, Óscar Mingueza, Riqui Puig and Luuk de Jong.

If the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) intends to convince him to play for Ecuador, the plan must be the same or similar to the one presented to the father of Jeremy Sarmiento, a 19-year-old winger who was born in Madrid and raised in England. of the senior team, the absolute. (D)