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Barcelona wonderkid leaves amidst striker hunt

By Nishant Narayanan

KOCHI, INDIA - OCTOBER 22: Abel Ruiz of Spain celebrates scoring the opening goal during the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 Quarter Final match between Spain and Iran at Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium on October 22, 2017 in Kochi, India. (Photo by Jan Kruger - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
KOCHI, INDIA - OCTOBER 22: Abel Ruiz of Spain celebrates scoring the opening goal during the FIFA U-17 World Cup India 2017 Quarter Final match between Spain and Iran at Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium on October 22, 2017 in Kochi, India. (Photo by Jan Kruger - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) /
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Barcelona’s youth sensation, regarded by many as the long-term academy replacement for Luis Suarez, leaves for the Portuguese side, Sporting Clube de Braga

Mundo Deportivo reports that the Barcelona B striker, Abel Ruiz, will travel to Portugal in order to finalize a transfer move to Sporting de Braga for a cost estimated to be close to €10 million.

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The 20-year-old will sign a new contract with the Portuguese club which will be for five seasons. The signing of Abel Ruiz is set to be the most expensive transfer in the history of the club, which helped convince the youngster to choose this move.

Ruiz has been publically aspirational about this dream of playing for the first-team at the Nou Camp but with Luis Suarez’s presence and the club opting to bring in a replacement from elsewhere, the wunderkind has decided to explore his options.

Valencia and Sporting CP were also among the interested clubs who had enquired about the young Barca man during the previous summer transfer window, but Ruiz has decided to join Braga instead., as he aims to be their “franchise player.”

Another factor was the Europa League as Braga are due to play the Rangers next, and with guaranteed playing time, this could prove to be an excellent opportunity for the youngster to showcase his talent.

With Abel’s inevitable exit, Barca truly lacks a proper striker in their current squad with no one besides Luis Suarez capable of playing the no, 9 role. With just a few days remaining in the transfer window, it remains to be seen if the Spanish champions sign any new strikers at all or rely on Antoine Greizmann to fill for their injured Uruguayan.

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