Ezequiel Barco already drawing transfer interest from a top European club

Just days after Ezequiel Barco’s U-20 World Cup came to an end, the transfer rumors have begun. According to Football Italia, Serie A giants Napoli have inquired about the 20-year-old as an alternative to their top transfer target Hirving Lozano.

It’s no surprise that the rumors have already begun to sprout up considering how well Barco played on such a huge stage for youth stars. However, just because there are rumors doesn’t mean you should necessarily prepare yourself to lose him any time soon. There are several obstacles in the way of a potential deal. Most notably is the reported clause in Barco’s move that would net Independiente around 30 percent of any fee in the the first two years of the player’s Atlanta stay. The fee reportedly drops to 10% beginning January 1, 2020.

If true, it doesn’t make much sense for Atlanta to accept any offer that’s not astronomically high. There’s also the factor of this season and Barco being an integral part of Frank de Boer’s team. Losing him now would be a huge blow to a team that’s finally gaining their form.

So, yes, the Barco rumors have inevitably started. But, I wouldn’t expect anything to happen quite yet. As long as he continues to play the way he has been the last three months, the rumors will continue to fly.