Barcelona in talks for second 18-year-old Dutch defender

Barcelona have been making moves to bring in a number of young talents this transfer window, and a second Dutch defender is reportedly on the agenda of Director of Football Deco. The Blaugrana have reportedly found an agreement for Dutch under-18 Juwensley Onstein, and now are looking to bring in one of his international teammates.

Their latest conquest is Ruud Nijstad of FC Twente, who this season made his debut with the senior side in the Eredivisie. According to WFC Groningen, Barcelona have sent a delegation to Nijstad’s home in the Netherlands to discuss a potential move. They do note that Nijstad is expected to sign a new deal in Enschede. Nijstad is currently under contract until 2027.

Zoals gemeld heeft FC #Twente Ruud #Nijstad ( 18 CV ) een nieuw contract aangeboden

Verwachting is nog steeds dat Nijstad gaat tekenen, maar we hebben nieuws

FC #Barcelona verliest komende periode aardig wat jeugd CV’s en zijn met een delegatie bij Nijstad thuis geweest! https://t.co/08NoalZyIQ pic.twitter.com/YvYVJT6mZK

— W (@WFCGRONINGEN) January 26, 2026

Nijstad’s career so far

Making his debut this season for Twente, Nijstad has made nine appearances to date, two of which came in the Dutch Cup. In total he has 677 minutes for Twente, six of which came from starts after a run of games in October and November. Nijstad has also risen through the ranks in the Dutch national setup, forming part of the under-16 side, under-17 side and now under-18 team. He has six appearances for the older age group.

Like Onstein, Nijstad is tall and left-footed, standing at 192cm. Like most Dutch central defenders, Nijstad is strong on the ball too.

Olmo: "Winning titles with so many homegrown players carries even more merit. Coming through the youth academy is a bonus because we give it our all."

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) January 27, 2026

Barcelona defensive departures

Part of the reason Deco appears to be pursuing that profile is that the first team is devoid of natural left-footed central defenders, with Gerard Martin being moved there at times this season. It also speaks to the exit of several players from Barcelona’s youth ranks, and a desire to restock the Barca Atletic side. Dinamo Zagreb snapped up Sergi Dominguez last summer, while Andres Cuenca is tipped to join Como. On top of that, Alvaro Cortes appears to be set to move on from Barca Atletic this summer.

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