Barcelona missed the chance to sign Valencia midfielder Carlos Soler as a youth player for just €1m in 2015, report Diario Sport.
In December, Soler signed a new contract at the Mestalla until the summer of 2023 with a €150m release clause and appears to have a long-term future at the club.
However, five years ago he had a €1m release clause at Los Che and former scout Pep Serer has outlined how Barcelona – with Robert Fernandez then responsible for transfers – were close to signing him but prolonged negotiations saw him commit his future to Valencia.
Soler only made his professional debut in December 2016 but has become an integral part of the first team at Valencia and has clocked up 141 appearances across all competitions to date, scoring 11 goals.
Primarily a right-sided midfielder, Soler has also been capped up to Under-21 level for Spain and is widely tipped for a place in the senior squad for future years.
The midfielder played a key part in Valencia winning the Copa del Rey last season and has also been instrumental in their successive top four finishes in La Liga.
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