Netherlands Under-19 defender Xavier Mbuyamba has revealed that he would have joined Chelsea last summer had it not been for the club’s transfer ban.
Chelsea did not sign any players last summer due to a FIFA-imposed transfer ban, which was lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport before the January transfer window.
The Blues were in the market for several players but could not make a move due to the sanction, and Mbuyamba was one of the youngsters they missed out on.
The Dutchman went on to join Barcelona, but the teenage defender claimed that Chelsea were the ones who came calling first before the Catalan giants.
And he conceded that if not for the transfer ban, he would have joined the Stamford Bridge outfit and not Barcelona.
He told Dutch outlet VTBL: “I would have actually gone to Chelsea because they were the first to come to me.
“But because of a transfer ban, they could not sign me on a contract.
“Then the choice finally fell on Barcelona.”
Mbuyamba broke into the Netherlands Under-19 squad last season and earned his first cap in November.
He is currently part of the Barcelona Under-19 set-up and has featured three times in the UEFA Youth League for the Blaugrana.
