Barcelona have completed the signing of England youth international Ajay Tavares from Championship side Norwich City, the club has announced.
Sources have told ESPN that Tavares, 16, flew to the Catalan city over the weekend and underwent a medical with the club on Monday ahead of completing his move to the Spanish champions.
He will initially join up with the under-19 side (Juvenil A), but the idea is that he is also eventually involved with Barça Atletic, the club’s reserve team who compete in the fourth tier of Spanish football.
Barça had to hoped to finalise the deal for Tavares in January, but bureaucratic issues delayed the transfer. Those problems have now been overcome, with FIFA giving the green light for the move to be finalised.
Tavares has been capped by England at U15, U16 and U17 level, but he also holds a Portuguese passport, which helped facilitate his move to Barcelona.
British nationals can only move to Spanish clubs once they turn 18, but the fact he has an EU passport as well meant he could make the move at 16.
Norwich, meanwhile, had their hands tied to a certain extent as they were unable to sign him to a professional contract until he turns 17, which is not until December.
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Tavares had featured once for the first team at Carrow Road, although it was in a preseason friendly last summer, with most of his football coming with the academy sides.
“Whilst we are incredibly sad to be losing a young academy player of Ajay’s talent, our overriding sense is one of immense pride,” Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper said in a statement.
“Ajay’s progress has been a testament to the fantastic work of everyone connected with our academy, who have impacted his journey and contributed to this wonderful achievement. Not least, Ajay has been a credit to himself and his family, and we couldn’t be prouder to see him take this step to one of the most iconic football clubs and academies in world football.”
Tavares becomes the second England youth international to make the switch to Barça’s famed La Masia academy in the last decade.
The first Englishman to join La Masia, living on-site, was Louie Barry in 2019, although he left less than a year later, signing for Premier League side Aston Villa. Marcus McGuane, currently at Huddersfield Town, also spent a year with Barça’s reserve team in 2018, while Marcus Rashford is currently part of Hansi Flick’s first team on loan from Manchester United.
