Scoring six goals during the U17 World Cup, Abel Ruiz made quite a name for himself over the past month or so.
International prowess aside, the Barcelona youngster is also a semi-regular for the club’s B team, featuring with players mostly three years his senior.
Contracted there until 2019, Ruiz has been said to be wanting a new contract for a while, mostly because he wants to continue his career there, determined to break through to the first-team.
So much so, in fact, that Sport in Spain claim the young forward turned down the chance to go to Chelsea in the summer despite being offered far more money than what he is currently earning in Catalonia.
With a release clause of just €3m in his deal, you cannot blame Chelsea for trying to lure Ruiz to Stamford Bridge, who constantly try and bolster their youth teams even if few manage to break through.
While turning down other offers is a noble thing to do if you’re trying to prove to your club you only want to play for them, it’s problematic if they don’t reciprocate the faith.
Like with a lot of their youngsters, it seems Barcelona are waiting until the very last moment to offer them new contracts, which is a very dangerous game to play.
After all, if you don’t feel loved at a club, why should you stay?
If this carries on, perhaps Chelsea might stand a chance if they come knocking once more.
