Ajay Tavares might be a relative unknown name in the world of football, but over the past week or so, he has quickly become one of the most talked-about youngsters in the game.
Barcelona have just snapped up the 16-year-old in a move that is creating headlines, who joined the Norwich City academy as a young boy.
The La Liga giants weren’t alone in their pursuit of the youngster as a handful of German clubs were also in the running.
Tavares, however, decided to swap England for the sunny shores of Spain, putting pen to paper on a long-term deal at Camp Nou.
Now, who is the youngster and what does his journey mean to young footballers across the planet?
A life-changing 16-minute cameo
Tavares never made his professional debut for the Canaries but featured in a pre-season friendly against FC Volendam, playing 45 minutes.
The 16-year-old attacker can play anywhere across the frontline and is yet to narrow down on a position, which is quite common for players in his age group.
While he regularly featured for Norwich’s age group sides and continued to rise through the ranks, it was his cameo against the Malaga academy that made scouts across the world take notice of him.
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Tavares scored a 16-minute hat-trick against the Spanish side, a performance that led to some of the biggest clubs in the world to eventually make offers for him.
The Portuguese loophole
Tavares was born in England and developed by the Norwich academy, but his Portuguese roots gave him a dual-nationality advantage – which in turn led to his move to Barcelona.
If it weren’t for his Portuguese passport, he would not have been allowed to secure a transfer overseas until he turned 18 due to a law that’s been in place since the UK left the EU.
Barcelona have seemingly taken advantage of this to snap him up as he now looks set to take his talents to Spain.
Norwich ‘thrilled’ by Tavares’ progress
While Norwich will undoubtedly be disappointed as one of their brightest talents has moved on to greener pastures, they’ll pat themselves on the back for playing a big role in his development.
Sporting director Ben Knapper said via Norwich’s official website: “Whilst we are incredibly sad to be losing a young academy player of Ajay’s talent, our overriding sense is one of immense pride.
“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.”
What next for the youngster?
Tavares is obviously too young to immediately break into the Barcelona first team, so he will initially train with the U-19 squad before being in contention to play with Barca B under Juliano Belletti.
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However, Lamine Yamal stormed through the ranks as a 16-year-old and is currently one of the best players in the world for club and country, so there’s no reason why Tavares can’t follow in his footsteps if he continues his development.
His move could also be a lesson for young players across the world. In recent years, a handful of English talents have decided to take their services elsewhere, with Louie Barry also moving to Barcelona as a teenager after making a name with West Bromwich Albion.
One thing is for sure: Tavares’ upcoming journey with the Catalan giants will be followed keenly by other players of his age group as they ponder whether or not to follow in his footsteps.
