Barcelona transfer news: Deco 'lays groundwork' for £5.1m-rated Strasbourg talent as talks begin

Signed by Strasbourg last January, young Moroccan forward Gessime Yassine has already attracted the interest of a major European club ahead of future transfer windows.

Heavily courted during the winter window - most notably by Saint-Etienne - Yassine joined Strasbourg in January in a deal worth £6m. Since then, the young Moroccan international has begun to make his mark in the Alsatian attack.

On Saturday, the former Dunkerque player made his first Ligue 1 start at AJ Auxerre (0–0). Deployed on the right flank by Gary O'Neil, Strasbourg's number 80 struggled to impose himself and was substituted at the beginning of the second half - though four days earlier the Salon-de-Provence native had delivered a solid performance against Stade de Reims in the Coupe de France quarter-finals.

Barcelona already positioning themselves for Gessime Yassine

Premier changement pour Gary O'Neil :

? Samuel Amo-Ameyaw
? Gessime Yassine

46' | 0️⃣-0️⃣ #AJARCSA pic.twitter.com/Wx0pMz1uxg

— Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace (@RCSA) March 7, 2026

Having registered his first assist in Strasbourg colours against Olympique de Marseille (2–2), Yassine appears destined to reach the next level in his career, having initially made a name for himself in Ligue 2 with Dunkerque. A move to a more prestigious club may well follow in due course - and one such club has already made its move. According to Africa Foot, Barcelona are monitoring Yassine, who is under contract with Strasbourg until June 2030.

Hansi Flick's side are said to have opened discussions with those around the player with a future deal in mind. A transfer as early as the summer of 2026 appears unlikely, with Strasbourg keen to hold on to the Salon-de-Provence-born forward for considerably longer - but the Catalan club are laying the groundwork in anticipation of what is expected to be fierce competition further down the line. According to the same source, Barcelona have not yet submitted any concrete proposal to Strasbourg for their young talent.

Currently valued at approximately £5.1m according to the latest Transfermarkt estimation, Yassine is set to command a handsome fee for Strasbourg's hierarchy at some point in the not-too-distant future. Since the club's takeover by BlueCo, they have grown accustomed to completing lucrative sales and generating strong returns on their investments. For now, however, a departure is not on the agenda. In the meantime, Yassine must first establish himself as a genuine first-team regular in Alsace - something he has yet to fully achieve.

This article was originally published on Top Mercato.