Barcelona look to have won the race to sign Leeds United's teenager Elliot Kebbie, beating Manchester United to the Englishman.
A statement on Leeds' official website read:
Teenager Elliot Kebbie will not be taking up his place on the club's scholarship scheme next season.
The youngster, who has spent eight years with the club's Academy prior to being offered a scholarship, re-located to Spain earlier this summer with his mother.
The club has retained its right to compensation should he choose to pursue a football career in Spain and sign for another club.
Last summer, the 16 year-old was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, but Leeds were reluctant to do business with their Lancashire rivals.
Kebbie is lightning quick, and abandoned a potential career as a sprinter in favour of focussing solely on football.
He tends to play either on the wing or up front, and should he sign with Barcelona the Catalan club will have to pay substantial compensation to Leeds.
He is currently trying out with Barca's Juvenil B team, and played his first match for the team on Sunday in a bid to win a contract at the famous La Masia training academy.
With the Spanish training focussed much more intensely on technique than English clubs tend to, perhaps Barcelona will turn Kebbie into a different style player to the one he might become had he stayed in England.
With his family upping roots to aid his move, there is a lot of pressure on the teenager to succeed.
A statement on Leeds' official website read:
Teenager Elliot Kebbie will not be taking up his place on the club's scholarship scheme next season.
The youngster, who has spent eight years with the club's Academy prior to being offered a scholarship, re-located to Spain earlier this summer with his mother.
The club has retained its right to compensation should he choose to pursue a football career in Spain and sign for another club.
Last summer, the 16 year-old was heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, but Leeds were reluctant to do business with their Lancashire rivals.
Kebbie is lightning quick, and abandoned a potential career as a sprinter in favour of focussing solely on football.
He tends to play either on the wing or up front, and should he sign with Barcelona the Catalan club will have to pay substantial compensation to Leeds.
He is currently trying out with Barca's Juvenil B team, and played his first match for the team on Sunday in a bid to win a contract at the famous La Masia training academy.
With the Spanish training focussed much more intensely on technique than English clubs tend to, perhaps Barcelona will turn Kebbie into a different style player to the one he might become had he stayed in England.
With his family upping roots to aid his move, there is a lot of pressure on the teenager to succeed.
For feck's sake, mo0, you ditched me for this unreliable clown?
