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Ajay Tavares has been playing for Norwich's under-18 team this season Spanish giants Barcelona have signed Norwich City academy prospect Ajay Tavares. The 16-year-old had reportedly attracted interest from a number of European clubs and Norwich will be entitled to compensation, although the Canaries have not confirmed the financial aspects of the deal. Tavares, who first joined Norwich at under-12 level, 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. "Whilst we are incredibly sad to be losing a young academy player of Ajay's talent, our overriding sense is one of immense pride, " said Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper. "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. .. 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 made his most recent appearance for Norwich's under-18 team against Chelsea at Colney on 31 January. "On an international level, he has represented England at under-15, under-16 and under-17 levels, and we've no doubt he'll continue to make great steps for both club and country in the years to come, " Knapper added. He is not the first 16-year-old to be signed by Barcelona from English football. In 2019, Louie Barry joined them from West Bromwich Albion, but he returned the following year when Aston Villa paid a fee of about 1m euros (£880, 000) for the young forward. That was a year after Barcelona signed 18-year-old Marcus Mc Guane from Arsenal, with the midfielder joining their B side. Mc Guane returned to England in 2020 to sign for Nottingham Forest and has since played for Oxford United, Bristol City and Huddersfield Town. Latest Norwich City news and analysis Listen to BBC Radio Norfolk's The Scrimmage podcast Premier League: Sesko comes off bench to score Man Utd winner at Everton - reaction Pacquiao and Mayweather agree professional rematch Five reasons for England's Six Nations slide The Bafta-winning documentary everyone is talking about Explore neurodivergent minds and how noise shapes daily life Mackenzie Crook’s new whimsical comedy What draws Sweden's players to England's Women's Super League? What could Mexico cartel violence mean for World Cup? Five talking points from round three of Six Nations How ruthless Arsenal exposed Tottenham's weaknesses Why 2026 marks a Winter Olympic turning point for Team GB 'England need players able to change tactics during games' Can you name every GB medal winner at Milan-Cortina? EFL's earliest-ever relegation - how Sheff Wed's sorry season unfolded 'Scotland's terrible beauty reverses the narrative on extraordinary day' Penis injections, swearing curlers and a wolfdog - Olympic stories you might have missed 'Losing the dressing room' - what does it mean and how can it happen? The Uber-driving English champion & his 30-year fight for a passport Who are the winners and losers from F1 pre-season testing? How Hodgkinson broke a 23-year-old world record Managing Man Utd the 'ultimate role' - Carrick How safe is bare-knuckle boxing as it fights for mainstream appeal? 'Bigger does not mean better' - why more matches is not for good of the game From Stoke to the Arctic Circle - 30 years of BBC's Murray behind mic Vinicius: Eight years at Real Madrid, 20 cases of alleged racist abuse Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.