FC Barcelona would be about to close the signing of one of the best full-backs on the planet, the ex-Blaugrana Ona Batlle. The one from Vilassar de Mar ends her contract on June 30, when she will leave Manchester United after three brilliant seasons in the English team. What has been the soap opera of recent transfer markets could finally come to an end this summer if the information advanced this morning by the British journalist from The Telegraph Tom Garry and that Batlle is back in Barcelona is confirmed.
He arrived at FC Barcelona at the age of 14, training in the youth team and the Blaugrana subsidiary. After three years in B, he decided to make the leap to the First Division away from Barça, with the recently promoted Madrid CFF. A season later, Levante took an interest in her and she played for two years in the Granota team. Her great projection made Barça want to play her off, but the ‘compensation clause’ prevented it. An abusive clause that forces clubs to pay exorbitant amounts as training rights to players under 23 years of age included in this list. Ona Batlle was one of the footballers with the highest clause, 500,000 euros.
The only way out for the Maresme player was to go abroad – where this clause does not apply – and in the summer of 2020 she landed in Manchester. With United she has played the last three seasons, confirming that she is one of the best in her position and helping the team qualify for the Champions League next season. The red devils wanted her to keep it and offered her the renovation, but her prodigal daughter wanted to return to the house she left in 2017.
Ona Batlle arrives to reinforce Barça’s right-back, a position that Marta Torrejón and Lucy Bronze now combine, both with contracts until next summer. Of course, the return of the one from Vilassar de Mar will force them to clean up because Barcelona today has all the complete files after having renewed in recent months the eight players who ended their contract this summer.
