Barcelona starlet heads for Saudi Arabia as Blaugrana secure clever transfer clause for Croatian wonderkid

Jijantes journalist Juli Claramunt reports that Chelfi's move to Bruno Lage's side is now nearing final completion. The Croatian youngster previously found first-team opportunities hard to come by, featuring almost exclusively at academy level. This agreement paves the way for the forward to embrace a fresh challenge outside Spain.

The buy-back clause ensures the door to Camp Nou remains open should the attacker progress significantly in the Middle East. Barcelona view this mechanism as a long-term safety net for a prized asset without hindering his pursuit of regular senior minutes. The arrangement gives the teenager freedom to develop while taking on greater responsibility.

Barcelona signed the winger from Croatian outfit NK Kustosija in the summer of 2025, mirroring their earlier transfer for Mika Faye. The Dinamo Zagreb academy product made 21 appearances and scored once for Juvenil A last season, alongside a single outing for Juliano Belletti's Barca Atletic. On the international stage, he represented Croatia Under-19s at the European Championship this summer, finding the net against Serbia.

Al-Diriyah have strengthened aggressively in the transfer window, bringing in Idrissa Gueye, Chancel Mbemba, Nikola Vasilj, Berat Djimsiti, Clayton Diandy, Adil Boulbina, and Darwin Nunez on loan from Al-Hilal. Sitting sixth in the SPL table with seven points from their opening four matches, Lage's side host Al Qadsiah on Thursday. The arrival of fresh attacking reinforcements will immediately boost the team's frontline options.