Ghana defender David Oduro set to leave Barcelona as Aston Villa-linked move gathers pace

Ghanaian defender David Oduro is set to leave FC Barcelona after two seasons with the club’s reserve side, Barça Atlètic.

According to Spanish outlet SPORT, the 19-year-old left-back is close to ending his spell in Catalonia, with several clubs showing interest in securing his services.

Barcelona are prepared to sanction Oduro’s departure after determining that they have sufficient cover in the left-back position. The club is also expected to retain 50 percent of the player’s rights from any future transfer, allowing them to maintain an interest in his development.

Oduro had attracted interest from Austrian club Sturm Graz earlier in the summer. Barcelona initially rejected the proposal as the club assessed its squad structure and the situation at left-back.

The Ghanaian was reportedly keen on a move to a higher division, with Sturm Graz offering the prospect of European football.

However, Barcelona’s position has since changed following the emergence of Jordi Pesquer, who spent pre-season with the first team, and the signing of Ecuadorian defender Josué Caicedo.

Aston Villa are currently the leading candidates to sign Oduro, with the Premier League club reportedly planning to move him to French Ligue 2 side Annecy, which is also under the same ownership.

Portuguese club Tondela are also interested, having reportedly created space for Oduro by selling their starting left-back to Riga.

Marítimo have also made an approach for the Ghanaian, who is now expected to pursue a new challenge away from Barcelona.