Done deal! Barcelona complete the signing of Mali wonderkid Ibrahim Diarra

Barcelona have successfully completed the signing of Malian teenage wonderkid Ibrahim Diarra from the Africa Foot Academy. Barcelona officially made the announcement on their website on Tuesday, continuing their trend of securing the most talented young footballers to emerge from African shores.

Barcelona had already reached an agreement to sign Diarra in January 2024, but were unable to complete his transfer from Africa Foot Academy due to FIFA regulations prohibiting the signing of non-EU minors. However, after turning 18 on December 12, Diarra's move to Barcelona can now be finalized.

The Malian youngster is a versatile, left-footed player primarily used as a right winger but also capable of playing in midfield. He has signed a contract that will keep him at the club until June 2028, beginning his development with Barca Atletic, the reserve team. Despite starting with the reserves, Barcelona have high expectations for Diarra and believe he has the potential to make the jump to the first team in the near future.

Diarra helped Mali finish in third place at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup, scoring five goals and registering four assists in seven games to win the Silver Boot. Barcelona paid €1.7 million to Africa Foot Academy for the wonderkid, and has already participated in training sessions with Barca Atletic, per a report from The Athleticlast month.

Barcelona started the ongoing campaign in explosive fashion, winning 11 of their first 12 LaLiga games. They seemed to be running away with the league, but have been pegged back in their previous six games, which has seen Hansi Flick's side drop 13 points. Their next game is against Atletico Madrid on Saturday, December 21, with Diego Simeone's men level on points with the Catalans having played one fewer game.