Tottenham and Chelsea transfer target has release clause in contract worth £435m
The highly-rated and in-demand star was reportedly chased by Chelsea and Spurs
Pau Cubarsi celebrates after Barcelona defeated Real Madrid earlier this month(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
Chelsea and Tottenham were reportedly pursuing Barcelona’s Pau Cubarsi before he had an eye-watering release clause written into his contract. Any club now looking to tempt the highly-rated youngster away from the Spanish giants would need to stump up an astonishing £435million (€500m).
The astronomical clause was inserted after the player penned his first professional contract with the Catalan club in May 2024, having joined Barca from Girona in 2018.
Chelsea were said to be keen to land Cubarsi before he put pen to paper on a pro deal, with Spanish media claiming they had ‘pushed to sign’ him in the summer of 2023. Spurs also reportedly registered interest when his release clause stood at a somewhat less daunting £13m, while Manchester United were also linked with a move for the young star.
Early reports suggested that Cubarsi’s buyout clause was set to reach £879m (€1billion). The finalised release clause for the gifted defender ultimately settled at £435m, but it appears unlikely the Blues or Spurs will be returning for the defender in the near future.
In February, the centre-back penned a contract extension running until June 2029, with the prohibitive clause remaining firmly intact. Cubarsi, who celebrated his 19th birthday in January, has cemented himself as a vital player for Barca since stepping up to the first team.
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He made his professional debut for Barcelona B in 2023 and earned promotion to the senior squad in January 2024 under then-manager Xavi. The defender has continued to thrive under boss Hansi Flick, clocking up 48 appearances this season as Barcelona clinched La Liga — his second top-flight title with the club.
Cubarsi earned his first Spain cap in March 2024 and featured in the squad that claimed gold at the Paris Olympics. Release clauses are compulsory in Spain and have been for roughly 40 years.
This stems from player welfare regulations. They also stop a club from retaining a player against their wishes. It’s understood that Jude Bellingham has an eye-watering £879m clause at Real Madrid, while Barca star Pedri has the same staggering sum written into his deal.
With former Spanish international Xabi Alonso now in charge at Chelsea, there may be hope among some supporters that he could potentially revive the Blues’ pursuit and persuade his young countryman to become part of his Stamford Bridge rebuild.
Yet if Barcelona’s recent comments on Cubarsi are any indication, it’s certainly an ambitious prospect. “It was clear that Cubarsi was a special player from that moment onwards,” Barcelona said in a statement earlier this year.
“Not only is he a resolute defender, which goes with the territory, but he reads the game very well and can play line-breaking passes worthy of the best midfielders. Cubarsi is 100% Barca, and he is set to remain so for many years more.”
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