Chelsea to land Barcelona wonderkid Julia Bartel in summer transfer as Blues plot life after Emma Hayes

That is according to The Athletic, with the 19-year-old’s contract expiring at the end of the season, meaning the Blues can snap her up on a free transfer. It looks to be an astute piece of business, with Bartel shining at youth level for Spain and in Barca’s reserves – where she has helped secure back-to-back league titles.

Due to being part of a dominant Barca side featuring a star-studded midfield, Bartel has not been afforded many first-team opportunities. However, she has shone when asked to make the step up and played the full 90 minutes in the recent 4-2 league victory over Levante – which was ironically just four days after the shock 1-0 home defeat to Chelsea in the Champions League. The Catalan outfit eventually won the semi-final tie 2-1 on aggregate thanks to a memorable Stamford Bridge triumph.

Bartel, a Spain Under-23 international, scored a stoppage-time winner in the 2022 Under-19 European Championship final against Norway. She was also part of the La Roja side which won the 2022 Under-20 Women’s World Cup.

With a move to Chelsea seemingly on the horizon, Bartel will hope to be given the chance to feature in Barca’s exciting end to the season. Jonatan Giraldez’s side have already won the league but will compete for more silverware in the next week-and-a-half with a treble up for grabs. Up first is Sunday’s Copa de la Reina final against Real Sociedad, before the Champions League final against Lyon on May 25.