Hansi Flick does not reach for Philipp Lahm comparisons lightly. He has reached for one on behalf of Xavi Espart.

“When I watch Xavi Espart play, I like his confidence on the ball. He reminds me of Philipp Lahm,” the Barcelona manager said of the 19-year-old left-back, in comments relayed by Football España and reported by CaughtOffside.

That verdict from inside the Barcelona dressing room explains why the Catalan club have placed a release clause north of €100m on a teenager with a handful of senior appearances behind him. Espart has displaced João Cancelo and Alejandro Baldé in Flick’s rotation and now starts regularly at left-back.

The La Masia graduate signed the long-term deal running until June 2030 earlier this summer, and reacted to the renewal with the kind of line Barcelona like their academy kids to deliver.

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“I was born a Barça fan, and I have been playing for Barça since I was eight years old.”

Arsenal and Spurs sit in the same queue

Arsenal and Tottenham have each watched Espart live and compiled detailed scouting reports, with Aston Villa, Borussia Dortmund and Juventus also tracking him. No formal talks have taken place.

The two London clubs face the same arithmetic. Espart’s current market value is estimated at around €25m, but Barcelona would reportedly need an offer in the region of €40m to €50m plus bonuses before they would even sit down to listen. The €100m clause gives them the option to walk away from any of that.

For Mikel Arteta, the appeal is a long-term rebuild rather than a January fix: a technical, left-footed full-back whose profile matches the way Arsenal build from the back.

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Robertson and Porro complicate the Spurs angle

Roberto De Zerbi’s problem at Tottenham is more immediate. The club signed Andy Robertson on a free transfer from Liverpool in June, but Spurs are already looking at long-term options behind the Scotland international.

Pedro Porro’s situation adds another layer. The right-back has reportedly told friends he wants to return to Spain at the end of the season, and with Djed Spence having left for Inter Milan in the summer, Tottenham are suddenly thin on recognised full-back cover on either flank.

Any serious bid for Espart would still require Barcelona to blink. Flick has made the 19-year-old first choice, set the public benchmark no coach uses lightly, and the club have the contractual armour to say no. Both London clubs are watching, not bidding.

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