Madrid, May 9 (IANS): FC Barcelona on Thursday assured the future of teenage central defender Pau Cubarsi after the club and the player signed a new contract. The 17-year-old has signed a new contract until the end of June 2027 with a release clause of 500 million euros (538 million U.S. dollars), which is only half of those of his teammates Lamine Yamal, Gavi and Pedri, but still way beyond the reach of nearly every club in the world.

The Barcelona youth team product made his first-team debut in the Copa del Rey on January 18, and has quickly become a regular with 20 first-team appearances -- 15 in La Liga, three in the UEFA Champions League and two in the Copa del Rey, reports Xinhua.

Cubarsi's mature displays earned him a call into the Spain national team squad in March and he made his international debut in a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in London.

Barcelona are currently placed third in the La Liga 2023-24 with 73 points from 34 matches, winning 22 matches and losing five matches.