Barcelona signs Montreal Impact academy product Ballou Tabla

Barcelona announced on Thursday that the club has signed Montreal Impact academy product Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla, penning the 18-year-old to Barca B for the next three seasons in a deal that includes two additional option years.

The contract also features a €25-million release clause for those first three years, which will rise to €75 million afterward.

Tabla becomes the first Montreal Impact academy product to be transferred to a European club, a milestone that team owner Joey Saputo commended in a club-issued statement.

"This first transfer is an important moment in the history and evolution of our club," Saputo said. "We take a lot of pride in seeing a young player, developed in our academy, climb the ladder all the way to the first team and realize his dream to play in Europe with a big club like Barcelona."

Tabla has just one season's worth of experience under his belt in MLS. He made 21 appearances in 2017 for the Impact, starting 11 matches. In that time, he scored twice and crafted a pair of assists while playing in multiple positions, predominantly out wide and sometimes as an attacking midfielder.

Born in the Ivory Coast and raised in Quebec, Tabla has represented Canada at the youth level but hasn't committed to the senior team. Former Canada manager Octavio Zambrano admitted the team had "suffered a bit of a setback" with Tabla due to interest in Europe and his desire to keep his options with Ivory Coast open, as Sportsnet's John Molinaro reported last August.

Tabla began turning heads early in his Impact career, with teammate and compatriot Didier Drogba recommending him to Chelsea.