Barcelona to Fight Arsenal and Tottenham for Charlton Starlet – Report

Charlton Athletic starlet Diego Poyet has been linked with a summer switch to Barcelona, according to Spanish reports.

The young midfielder, son of Sunderland boss Gus Poyet, has caught the eye of a number of Premier League teams during the Championship side's recent FA Cup run including Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham.

The former England Under-17 international is out of contract at the end of the season and although a summer top flight move would be a free transfer, a tribunal fee would need to be paid given his age.

Despite being born in Spain when his father played for Zaragoza, Diego has grown up footballing in England, where it's been reported that top clubs such as Barcelona are keeping an eye on him, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.

The 18-year-old, who has made nine first appearances for the Addicks thus far, made his biggest progress at the Valley in January under Chris Powell and played a full 90-minutes in both of new manager Jose Riga's first games in charge.

His father Gus Poyet, who played for both Chelsea and Spurs, admitted he'd be proud to see the midfielder lining-up at the Camp Nou in an interview in Sport: "It would be a spectacle to see my son Diego at Barcelona.

"It is nice to have that link. He is 18 and he has much to learn and to improve. He hates losing and always plays at the same level."

Poyet Sr admitted to be a Barcelona fan, saying: "I follow Barcelona. If someone ask you about in what team in the world I would have liked to play, that is Barcelona."

Diego has earned himself international matches with England at schoolboy level but has expressed a desire to play for Uruguay if the opportunity were to arise.

Charlton Athletic are currently in the Championship relegation zone but with a few of games in hand.