Ajay Tavares joins Barcelona from Norwich City at 16
ajay tavares, a 16-year-old winger from Norwich City's academy, has been signed by Barcelona after receiving international clearance and completing a medical, a move that sees the teenager leave Norwich and head to one of Europe’s leading academies.
Ajay Tavares: Barcelona move confirmed
Barcelona have signed Ajay Tavares from Norwich City. FIFA have approved the move and international clearance was received; the 16-year-old has also completed a medical, and the transfer is now proceeding to Barcelona. Norwich will be entitled to compensation, although the Canaries have not confirmed the financial aspects of the deal.
Norwich career and recent appearances
Tavares first joined Norwich at under-12 level and has been playing for Norwich's under-18 team this season. He made his most recent appearance for the under-18s against Chelsea at Colney on 31 January. He was sent on as a substitute in a first-team pre-season friendly against Dutch club Volendam last summer when only 15, but he has not appeared in a competitive fixture at senior level.
International credentials and club reaction
On an international level, Tavares has represented England at under-15, under-16 and under-17 levels. Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper said he was "incredibly sad to be losing a young academy player of Ajay's talent" while describing the club's "overriding sense" as pride. Knapper praised the work of the academy that helped Tavares's progression and said he had no doubt the player "will continue to make great steps for both club and country in the years to come. " The 16-year-old had reportedly attracted interest from a number of European clubs.
Younger English signings and historical parallels
He is not the first 16-year-old to be signed by Barcelona from English football. In 2019 Louie Barry moved to Barcelona from West Bromwich Albion but returned the following year when Aston Villa paid a fee of about 1m euros (£880, 000) for the forward. That was a year after Barcelona signed 18-year-old Marcus McGuane from Arsenal, with McGuane joining Barcelona's B side; McGuane returned to England in 2020 to sign for Nottingham Forest and has since played for Oxford United, Bristol City and Huddersfield Town. Barcelona have faced difficulties registering signings over the past couple of years, with the club's financial situation said to be complicated behind the scenes, but after receiving approval from FIFA a new signing was cleared to complete a deal. The move for Tavares has also been described as being for "one of the most promising prospects of his generation. "
What happens next
Norwich will receive compensation for the transfer, though the club has not provided financial details. The next concrete steps beyond the completed medical and FIFA approval are unclear in the provided context.
