Ajay Tavares: Barcelona Secures Promising Norwich Academy Talent
- Barcelona have completed the signing of 16-year-old Norwich City academy prospect Ajay Tavares, highlighting his rising profile
- Norwich City officially confirmed the transfer with an X post, dropping an emotional message to fans
- Barcelona will focus on nurturing his talent at their academy without pushing him into the first team prematurely
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Spanish giants Barcelona have completed the signing of 16-year-old Norwich City academy prospect Ajay Tavares.
The young forward, who first joined the Canaries at the under-12 level, had reportedly drawn attention from several European clubs.
Source: Getty Images
Barcelona sign Norwich's Tavares
While Norwich is expected to receive compensation for the transfer, the club has not disclosed the financial details.
Tavares made headlines last summer when, at just 15, he was brought on as a substitute in a first-team pre-season friendly against Dutch side Volendam.
According to ESPN, despite this early exposure, he has yet to feature in a competitive senior match. Most recently, he played for Norwich’s under-18s against Chelsea at Colney on 31 January.
Source: Twitter
After Norwich announced the transfer in an X post on Monday, February 23, sporting director Ben Knapper expressed both sadness and pride over the move:
"While we are naturally sad to see a young talent like Ajay leave, we are immensely proud of his journey. His development reflects the outstanding work of everyone in our academy, and it’s fantastic to see him take this step to one of the most iconic football clubs in the world."
Ajay Tavares eyes future success
On the international stage, Tavares has already represented England at under-15, under-16, and under-17 levels. Knapper is confident the youngster will continue progressing rapidly:
"We are certain Ajay will keep making great strides for both club and country in the years ahead."
According to the BBC, Tavares follows in the footsteps of other English teenagers signed by Barcelona.
In 2019, Louie Barry moved from West Bromwich Albion but returned to England a year later after Aston Villa paid around €1 million (£880,000) for him.
Similarly, Arsenal academy graduate Marcus McGuane joined Barcelona’s B team in 2018 at 18, later returning to England to play for Nottingham Forest, Oxford United, Bristol City, and Huddersfield Town.
With Barcelona’s renowned youth setup now nurturing him, Tavares has the platform to continue his development and potentially follow the path of other young English talents who leaped to one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Meanwhile, Norwich fans reacted with positive comments after the announcement of the deal by the English outfit, while Others, too, wrote skeptical lines.
@Amien:
''Good luck, boy. Make us proud.''
@LV said:
''Why Barca signing youngsters from other clubs I thought they had the best academy in the world?''
@Dom reacted:
''Let’s just hope it doesn’t come back to bite us when we play them in a few years.''
Julian Alvarez on Barcelona's wishlist
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Barcelona are reportedly planning a major move for Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez, targeting him as a potential long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski.
Sources indicate that if Atlético Madrid are willing to sell, the transfer fee could be around €200 million, reflecting Álvarez’s value and importance to the Spanish side.
Source: YEN.com.gh
