Barcelona make last push to lower Hamburg’s financial demand for Hansi Flick-backed teenage defender
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Hansi Flick does not usually get personally involved in deals for teenage reserve-team defenders, but for Mikael Baza, he has made an exception.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are working against the clock to complete a deal for the 16-year-old Hamburg centre-back, with less than 48 hours remaining before the transfer window closes.
The move would see Baza join Barca Atletic, but it is Flick’s personal push that has made this deal a genuine priority in the club’s final hours of business.
Flick pushing Barcelona for Mikael Baza
Baza has been on Flick’s radar for some time, largely through the coach’s contacts with Germany’s youth national team setup from his time as senior manager.
Through those connections, Flick intervened directly to halt a move Baza had been considering to Juventus, then pushed Barcelona to accelerate their own approach.
Flick is pushing Barcelona to sign Mikael Baza. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images for DFB)
Furthermore, there is a family link adding to the intrigue too. Baza is a cousin of Bayern Munich’s Jonathan Tah, and the comparisons don’t stop at bloodline.
Interestingly, Flick sees the same physical profile in him: height, strength, pace, and being left-footed, all traits that framed Tah’s development into a top-level centre-back.
As far as finances are concerned, Hamburg are holding out for €250,000 plus add-ons, and Barcelona are still trying to negotiate that figure down before the deadline.
Baza’s contract situation works in Barcelona’s favour, with just one year left on his current deal, and his camp, led by agent Pini Zahavi, is said to be pushing hard for the move to go through.
What happens now?
Mikael Baza is the cousin of Jonathan Tah. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images for DFB)
A fee in this range is negligible by Barcelona’s usual standards, but the interest itself says a lot about how the club is approaching recruitment at the very top of the youth pipeline.
As per reports, Flick views Baza as a player capable of reaching the first team in the short to medium term, filling a specific gap in Barcelona’s squad.
Currently, the club’s only real backup option at centre-back beyond the established starters is Gerard Martin, a converted left-back rather than a natural centre-back.
Hence, a player like Baza, if he develops as expected, would give Barcelona a genuine specialist option in a position that is thinner than it looks on paper.