Barcelona fit 16-YEAR-OLD wonderkid signing with ENORMOUS release clause
Tom Weber
- Updated: 8 Aug 2023 15:30 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona have completed the signing of Noah Darvich and fitted him with an eye-watering €1 billion release clause.
The 16-year-old has been touted as one of the biggest prospects in Germany in recent years and he was unsurprisingly courted by some of Europe's biggest clubs. Having impressed as Germany won the U17 Euros, Darvich quickly became one of the continent's hottest properties despite not having a single minute of senior football under his belt.
A Freiburg native of Iraqi origin, the attacking midfielder came through the SC Freiburg youth academy, but it became clear to him that he had outgrown his hometown club despite the promise that he would feature regularly for the club's professional reserve side playing in the German third tier this season.
READ: Arsenal make ‘TEMPTING’ transfer offer for Barcelona star
With just a year left on his contract, Darvich has decided to make the jump to Barcelona where he will also likely feature in the third division with the B team initially.
This is Noah Darvich ⚽💫pic.twitter.com/e9AUuiHumv
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) August 4, 2023
A €1bn release clause
The Blaugrana paid a fixed transfer fee of €2.5 million with a potential €5m in add-ons for the youngster, but more eye-catching is his new contract that runs until 2026: it contains a €1bn release clause.
However, this is nothing new. It is customary in Spain that every player has a release clause and in order to get around the issue of potentially losing their stars without being consulted, the biggest sides like Barcelona and Real Madrid fit their players with exorbitant buy-out fees that are impossible to pay.
READ: Golden Boy Gavi upset with Barcelona over Mbappe
Los Blancos star Federico Valverde, for example, also has a €1bn release clause, while new Barcelona recruit Vitor Roque has one worth €500m.
Darvich will line up for Barca Atletic, the reserves, in Spain's Primera Federación - Grupo I under the tutelage of Mexican legend and former Blaugrana player Rafa Marquez. The 16-year-old is the first player of Iraqi descent to be on the books at Barcelona and the only German currently in the B team.
