FC Barcelona has stepped up its search for young talent in Scandinavia, with scouts closely tracking Norwegian striker Gabriel Rajkovic. The 15-year-old, who plays for Valerenga, has already made history in his homeland by becoming the youngest ever goalscorer in the Eliteserien.
Observers from the Catalan club were present at the stadium on August 8, when Rajkovic scored his first professional goal. In that match against Bodö/Glimt, the forward was exactly 15 years, 5 months, and 15 days old, breaking a record previously held by Erling Haaland. The current Manchester City star netted his first goal for Molde at 17 years and 16 days.
A clear strategy
This surveillance fits within the policy outlined by sporting director Deco. In a recent assembly, the executive explained the club's philosophy. "One of its objectives is to have the market well controlled to find players who could be interesting for the club's future and sign them, thus avoiding paying high sums of money in transfers," Deco said. The idea is to get ahead of the competition and future astronomical price tags.
Rajkovic, born in Oslo on February 23, 2011, stands 1.87 meters tall and has already made 14 appearances for Valerenga's first team. After his historic goal, he added a second in a 2-2 draw against Sarpsberg. His potential has attracted the attention of several European giants, including Arsenal and Chelsea, though English clubs face restrictions on signing non-British minors due to Brexit. Barcelona, however, could formalise a deal when the player turns 16, thanks to his community status.
A backdrop of strength
This hunt for youthful gems comes as the first team enjoys an excellent moment. Barça leads LaLiga with 21 points after seven matchdays, with a record of seven wins and zero defeats. The latest was a convincing 1-3 win in Sevilla, where top scorer Raphinha, with 12 goals this season, shone again. The team is on a run of five consecutive victories and prepares for its next challenge against Getafe at the Camp Nou.
The academy and scouting remain fundamental pillars. In recent months, the club has brought in young prospects like Egyptian Hamza Abdelkarim (18), Belgian Jesse Bisiwu (18), and Portuguese Dany Freire (16). The monitoring of Rajkovic reinforces this line of work, which seeks to secure the future without relying on multi-million euro disbursements. The next step will be to evaluate his development during the Norwegian season, which ends in December.
First reported at Mundo Deportivo
