Highly rated Barcelona youngster Sergi Samper has left the club after 15 years on a loan deal to join fellow La Liga side, Granada. Sergi Samper feels he is excited to accept the new challenge at a club which is seemingly the only choice that could have gone his way.
The youngster had been on the transfer radar of clubs such as Arsenal but Samper revealed that he is focused on short-term goals, while he refused to comment on his future including the one at his boyhood club Barcelona.
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Sergi Samper has been at Barcelona since he was six years of age. The 21-year-old has since risen through the youth ranks before being promoted to the B team, whom he captained last season, in 2013. He made his debut for the senior team in a 2014 Champions League game against APOEL and has made 10 more appearances for Luis Enrique's side.
Emphasizing on his willingness to learn and grow, he said, "I've come to Granada to grow. It's a key year for me and I hope to have a great season. I'm focused on Granada and we'll see what happens in the future. The target is to help the team have a good season, improve as a footballer and excite the fans.”
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This summer he was promoted to the first team, but the competition for a spot in midfield is tense at Nou Camp and the Barcelona camp seem to think it is the right time for the youngster to get some first-hand experience under his belt as their requirements are covered at the moment.
After the signings of Denis Suarez and Andre Gomes, the Catalan side has deemed his services as surplus which prompted the youngster into making a decision. Further convinced by the manager’s style at Granada, Samper believes he has found the best club to continue his career.
Samper added, "I had several offers, but I liked the project they've got here. The manager's style [Paco Jemez] is what most convinced me to come, it was my decision and I'm convinced it was the best. I knew if I left on loan, it would be for Granada. It's the best option for me. There was a lot of speculation but I had no doubts."
Along with Munir El-Haddadi, Samper signed a new contract with Barcelona earlier this year, linking him to the club until 2019 and raising his buyout clause to €50 million.
