Spanish giants Barcelona have announced the signing of 16-year-old forward Louie Barry following his departure from West Brom's youth setup.

Barry's performances at youth level for both club and country - with the attacker scoring seven goals in nine games for England's Under 16s side - had seen him attract interest from a number of big European sides, with French champions PSG and their German counterparts Bayern Munich among those who had been linked with a move for the teenager.

Sky Sports had previously reported that West Brom had offered Barry a new three-year contract in a bid to keep him amid that interest, but the striker has now elected to head for pastures new.

It is, however, Barcelona who have now been confirmed as winners in the race for his signature, and the 16-year-old is set to join the La Liga champions' Under 19s side - who finished second in their own academy league last season - for the coming campaign.

The Verdict

What a move this is for Barry.

Very few footballers will get the chance to play for a club with Barcelona's size, history and ability in their career, so for Barry to be able to get that opportunity at just 16-years-old is a magnificent achievement.

Given there is no guarantee that such as chance will ever come along again, you feel it would be hard to begrudge Barry taking this opportunity, and it will be interesting to see just how far he can develop during his time at Barcelona.

The early signs in terms of his record are promising, however, and the fact that he will be playing in the club's Under 19s team at the age of just 16 next year, is a testament to how highly is already thought of at one of the biggest clubs in World football.