Barca reject Betis move for Tello

1 January 2012 22:22

Barcelona have turned down a loan offer from fellow La Liga outfit Betis for promising youngster Cristian Tello.

The Seville side are keen to strengthen their attack in the January transfer window to stay clear of the relegation zone, and they see the 20-year-old as the perfect addition to their squad, according to reports in Estadio Deportivo.

Tello is a product of the Barcelona youth academy and returned to Camp Nou in mid-2010 after two years with Espanyol.

The Spain under-20 star has since impressed in the reserve team of the Blaugrana, and made his official first team debut earlier this term.

The versatile attacker's good performances have earned him the interest of Betis, but head coach Pep Guardiola is keen to hold on to Tello and has turned down any move.

Guardiola sees the forward as a good alternative for the injured Ibrahim Afellay and David Villa, and therefore wants to keep Tello at the club.