Barcelona puts Nijstad on the front page, but Twente asks for €20 m

Ruud Nijstad, the eighteen-year-old defender of FC Twente, was prominently featured on the front page of the Spanish sports newspaper SPORT on Thursday 12 November, after a Google‑search brought him to attention; Barcelona has also marked him as a priority for a definitive winter transfer.

Barcelona's interest and demands

The club of coach Hansi Flick sees the Dutchman as an important reinforcement for the future, but the high asking price is a stumbling block for now. Barcelona is specifically looking for a left‑footed centre‑back to strengthen the back line in the long term. According to SPORT, Nijstad is considered one of the main candidates for that role.

Twente's price and financial reality

FC Twente is reportedly asking twenty million euros for Nijstad, who is contracted in Enschede until around mid‑2029. Barcelona considers that amount too high and also struggles with financial constraints. SPORT reports that the space within the financial fair play‑rules currently amounts to only three to four million euros. Therefore the Catalans must first create financial room in order to be able to sign the defender.

At FC Twente, Nijstad is meanwhile highly regarded, and technical director Erik ten Hag previously indicated that several European top clubs were concretely interested last summer. The defender deliberately chose at the time to continue his development in Enschede. Whether Barcelona manages to strike this coming winter remains uncertain for now. A possible departure of left‑back Alejandro Balde could give the Spanish club more financial possibilities.