West Ham’s chances of signing Barcelona prodigy Alen Halilovic on loan next season have taken a blow, with the starlet’s agent revealing that the European champions want him to stay in Spain.
The young Croatian attacking midfielder is being tipped to have a bright future in the game and has been getting a taste of senior football at Sporting Gijon this season.
With Halilovic starring for the modest La Liga side, there is every chance he could be a star for Barcelona in the future.
Slaven Bilic is a big fan of the 19-year-old and knows his compatriot well from their mutual time together with the Croatian national side, with the West Ham boss playing a major role in the midfielder’s development.
The Hammers have been linked with a loan move for Halilovic on countless occasions in the past, but the young playmaker’s representative has poured cold water on his client potentially moving to London.
“If Barcelona choose to loan him again, we prefer Halilovic to stay in Spain. For him, La Liga is better than the Premier League,” agent Zoran Stojadinovic is quoted as saying by Marca.
