Barcelona sign Moroccan talent Mehdi El Mimouni

Barcelona have continued their policy of recruiting young international talent, announcing the signing of 17-year-old Moroccan midfielder Mehdi El Mimouni. The Catalan club confirmed they reached an agreement with Belgian side Royal Charleroi for the youngster, though no financial details or contract lengths were disclosed.

El Mimouni is set to join the Under-19 squad. This follows a similar path taken by Egyptian forward Hamza Abdelkarim, who arrived at the club from Al Ahly a few months ago. The teenager is highly regarded in Belgium and is versatile enough to play as a defensive midfielder or in a box-to-box number eight role.

Known for his technical quality and tactical intelligence, El Mimouni has drawn early comparisons to Barcelona legend Sergio Busquets for his ability to dictate tempo. His development had attracted significant interest from across Europe, including PSV Eindhoven and several Premier League clubs, with Newcastle noted as being among the most interested parties.