Barcelona youngster Marc Jurado is set to sign for Manchester United after confirming his exit from the Camp Nou on his Instagram page.
The 16-year-old posted a farewell message on his social media on Monday to thank the Catalans for helping his development since he joined them at the tender age of seven.
The defender is considered one of the brightest stars in the club’s La Masia academy and Metro claim United agreed personal terms with him earlier this year over a move to the club.
Barcelona had been desperate to keep him and even offered him a lucrative, long-term contract to stay at the club but his head was turned by Manchester United’s offer.
Though, United will have to pay a compensation fee to Barcelona because the club helped train Jurado from a young age but a fee of around £200,000 will be considered very little for a player like Jurado.
‘It’s never easy to leave a team that has given you everything. FC Barcelona has been my second home, my second family, where I have developed as a player and as a person,’ wrote Jurado.
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‘Today it’s time to say goodbye, but not before expressing my gratitude to each of the people who have helped me since I started in the prebenjamín in the year 2011.
‘I have been lucky to share my passion with a fantastic generation, with which I will always be linked.
‘We started as boys who just wanted to run after a ball and I say goodbye, nine years later, calling them friends. Only we know the immense luck we have had with all the coaches who have developed us and helped us to keep fulfilling our dreams.
‘Every stage has a beginning and an end. Mine, having reflected a lot with my family, has come. I leave behind unforgettable memories which will always stay with me.’