Official: Barcelona sign 16-year-old English wonderkid

Barcelona have confirmed the capture of 16-year-old English prodigy Ajay Tavares from Norwich City, a move that underlines the Catalans’ determination to keep replenishing their famed academy with Europe’s brightest talents.

The club announced the deal through a brief statement on social media: “Agreement for the incorporation of the player Ajay Tavares to the Juvenil A of Barça from Norwich City.” Moments later, Tavares put pen to paper on his contract after passing a medical, with Jose Ramon Alexanco, Barça’s Director of Youth Football, overseeing the formalities.

Born in England and recently called up to the national Under-17 squad, Tavares is a lightning-quick winger who can operate on either flank. Despite only turning 16 this year, he had already graduated to Norwich City’s Under-18 group, regularly testing himself against older opposition. His maturity on the ball and willingness to take on defenders first caught the eye of Barça scouts several months ago, and negotiations have been ongoing ever since.

Because Tavares also carries a Portuguese passport, Barcelona were able to push the transfer through immediately rather than wait for the player to reach 18, circumventing the usual restrictions on non-EU minors. The teenager will begin his Spanish adventure with the Juvenil A side, the top tier of La Masia’s youth pyramid, but club sources expect his progress to be fast-tracked if he adapts quickly to the technical demands of his new environment.

For a club that prides itself on producing home-grown superstars, Tavares represents another calculated bet on raw, high-upside potential. The hope inside Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper is that the Englishman will follow in the footsteps of recent graduates who have skipped from Juvenil A to Barça Atletic—and, eventually, to the Camp Nou spotlight.