Julia Bartel, a Barca wonderkid, is set to join Blues in a summer move as Chelsea prepare to replace Emma Hayes.

The 19-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of the current campaign, thus the Blues have the opportunity to sign her for free. This is according to The Athletic. Bartel, who excelled for Spain at the juvenile level and in Barca’s reserves,

where she helped the team win back-to-back league titles, appears to have made a wise financial decision.Bartel’s first-team opportunities have been limited because he plays in a star-studded midfield for a dominating Barcelona squad. She did, however

, excel when called upon to step up, playing the entire ninety minutes in the team’s most recent 4-2 league triumph against Levante, which coincidentally came only four days after the unexpected 1-0 home loss to Chelsea in the Champions League. Thanks to an unforgettable victory at Stamford Bridge, the Catalan team went on to win the semi-final encounter 2-1 on aggregate.

The 2022 Under-19 European Championship final saw Bartel, a Spain Under-23 international, score the game-winning goal in stoppage time against Norway. She also competed for La Roja, the team that won the Under-20 Women’s World Cup in 2022.

Bartel will be hoping to play a part in Barca’s thrilling season finale, as a move to Chelsea appears imminent. Despite having already won the league, Jonatan Giraldez’s team will play for additional hardware over the course of the next week and a half, with a triple up for grabs. Prior to the Champions League final against Lyon on May 2, there is this Sunday’s Copa de la Reina final versus Real Sociedad.