​Oriol Pallas looks set to begin the next chapter of his career after leaving Barcelona, with Sporting Gijon emerging as the frontrunner to secure the highly-rated winger’s signature.The 18-year-old recently completed his spell at La Masia after Barcelona opted not to activate the two-year extension included in his contract.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAlthough the club had initially planned to keep him, that position changed, allowing one of their promising academy graduates to explore opportunities elsewhere.Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, Sporting Gijon have intensified their pursuit of the young attacker, with negotiations progressing positively as the Spanish club looks to strengthen its development pathway with another talented prospect.Oriol Pallas’ contract was not extended by Barcelona. (Picture credit: Instagram/@uripallas)As reported by the outlet, Sporting Gijon have monitored the winger for an extended period and have already completed extensive scouting work before opening formal discussions over a move.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThose talks have now reached an advanced stage, with the plan being for Pallas to join Sporting Atletico, the club’s reserve side, which will compete in the Tercera RFEF during the upcoming campaign.Although he never made a competitive first-team appearance, Pallas’ progress did not go unnoticed at Barcelona.During the previous season, Hansi Flick invited the winger to train with the senior squad on several occasions.Before arriving at Barcelona, Pallas spent more than a decade progressing through Espanyol’s academy, developing into one of the region’s most promising attacking talents.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAs it turns out, the young winger ultimately failed to match the expectations at Barcelona.While the Blaugrana ultimately chose not to extend his stay, the interest shown by Sporting Gijon suggests he still remains highly regarded within Spanish football.