Spanish youngster, Joel Lopez has confirmed that he has left Barcelona for Arsenal.
16-year-old Lopez turned down Barcelona’s new offer and became the latest youngster to leave the club’s famed La Masia academy.
Lopez confirmed via his Instagram account that he is an Arsenal player.
The youngster has signed a scholarship deal with Arsenal and will be eligible to sign professional terms when he turns 17 next year.
The presence of Arsenal’s head of football relations Raul Sanllehi who was formerly a director of football at the Nou Camp, played a pivotal role in the teenager settling on north London.
The teenage star followed in the footsteps of Cesc Fabregas, Fran Merida and Hector Bellerin, with 21-year-old centre-half Julio Pleguezuelo the most recent addition from the Barcelona ranks.
A message on his Instagram page reads, “Joel Lopez, left back from Barcelona, has rejected a contact from Barcelona and decided to join Arsenal.
“Joel is only 16 years old and highly rated in Barcelona. Hopefully he’ll be playing for the first team soon!”
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