ASTON VILLA have signed 16-year-old Louie Barry from Barcelona.
The deal is now subject to international clearance.
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Barry left West Brom to secure a dream move to the Nou Camp, but after just six months the teen starlet will return to England.
The forward rejected a transfers to PSG last summer but went on to make just three appearances for Barca in the UEFA Youth League.
According to the Daily Mail, the West Brom have reported the LaLiga champions to Fifa having failed to receive the £130,000 compensation fee when he joined the youth academy.
But it won’t affect Barry’s switch to Villa Park, after the two clubs opened talks earlier this month.
Barry joined their youth set up and became the first Englishman to live at La Masia academy that has brought through the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi.
But the 16-year-old striker wanted to return home after growing discontent with changes at Barca.
Villa’s academy manager Mark Harrison knows Barry well from his time working as a youth coach at West Brom.
Harrison said of the signing: “It sends a powerful message about the ambition of this football club.
“We’re delighted – Louie is a local person and his family are all Villa fans, as is Louie.
“He is still a very young man but as he’s developed, he’s always been one player that you always recognise as having outstanding attributes. He’s got a fantastic mentality, he’s desperate to do well for this football club.
“He’s really driven, he’s got great family support, but in terms of what he can achieve, we firmly believe that he can be an outstanding number nine for this football club.”
