Barcelona negotiate transfer fee for Hamburg teenager Mikael Baza

Barcelona are negotiating a transfer deal for 16-year-old Hamburg centre-back Mikael Baza with less than 48 hours remaining in the transfer window. Head coach Hansi Flick has personally intervened to prioritize the signing of the defender for the club's reserve team, Barca Atletic. Flick, who previously managed Germany's national setup, identified Baza as a prospect with a physical profile similar to Bayern Munich defender Jonathan Tah. Hamburg currently demands a fee of €250,000 plus add-ons, but Barcelona is attempting to reduce the cost given that Baza has only one year left on his current contract. The player’s agent, Pini Zahavi, is supporting the move. Barcelona currently lacks natural depth at centre-back for the first team, and Flick views the teenager as a potential long-term option to address that specific squad vacancy.

• 8:20 AMYahoo Sports — Barcelona make last push to lower Hamburg’s financial demand for Hansi Flick-backed teenage defender