Max Aarons has signed a three-year professional contract with Norwich, the official site has confirmed.

The 18-year-old is yet to make his senior debut, but he impressed in the Under-23s, so he is ready to graduate through to the first-team.

His route has been a common pathway for talented players because Jamal Lewis, Jacob Murphy and Josh Murphy are just some of the players who worked their way up into the first-team over the past few seasons.

Altogether he made 22 appearances for the Under-23s as well as training with the first-team at the end of last season, so he is clearly ready for the next step up even though he is only 18.

Daniel Farke will be aiming to build on the 14th place finish, but his funds even with the sale of Josh Murphy and potentially James Maddison because they will need to replace them, so academy graduates are a potential solution to bolster the team.

The Verdict

Norwich have a strong academy set-up with a clear pathway to the first team, and Aarons is part of the next group of players that will come through.

Tying him down to a long contract is a good move because he is yet to make his debut, but it's likely to be harder to negotiate the more more first-team experience he gets because his value increases.

Therefore, this avoids all that and ensures that they can get a good fee for him if he generates interest.

There is certainly a place for him in the first-team because Ivo Pinto failed to impress in the right-back role and Southampton loanee Harrison Reed had to cover even though he is a defensive midfielder.

Therefore, some strong performances could see him make that starting spot his own.