Barcelona are confident they have beaten Chelsea to the signing of Montreal Impact winger Ballou Tabla, according to Sport.
The Catalan publication reports that the 18 year old was recommended to the Blues by Chelsea legend, and former Impact player Didier Drogba, but Barca feel they have clinched the deal for the right sided midfielder.
Negotiations over signing Tabla are believed to have started in December with the transfer likely to take place at some point during the January transfer window.
The Canadian Under 20 international will not be part of Barcelona’s first team setup though, and will likely be sent to play for the club’s B team in order to acclimatise to Spanish football.
Tabla was born in the Ivory Coast but moved to Canada as a child to grow up in Quebec. He joined Montreal Impact in 2016, and played 24 times for the MLS outfit last season, scoring three goals and providing two assists.
