Barcelona trial looms for Malian prodigy Aboubacar Maiga

Barcelona are set to take a closer look at Malian teenage sensation Aboubacar Maiga, with the club reportedly planning to invite the 16-year-old for trials in the coming weeks.

The highly rated central midfielder, considered one of the brightest young prospects in Mali, has already attracted serious attention from several top European sides.

Maiga currently plays for the renowned Africa Foot academy, which maintains a collaboration agreement with Barcelona, making it easier for the Catalan club to monitor his development closely. He has previously undergone trials with Ajax and Paris Saint-Germain, further underlining how coveted his talent has become on the scouting circuit.

Barcelona intend to assess Maiga in more detail after the U17 Africa Cup of Nations, which kicks off later this week. Club staff have received encouraging scouting reports about the teenager’s technique, vision and maturity, but will only decide on a permanent move once they have watched him up close in both tournament and trial settings. If he impresses, Maiga could become the latest African jewel to make the leap from academy football to one of Europe’s biggest stages via Barcelona’s talent pipeline.