Barcelona have completed the signing of 16-year-old Portuguese-Luxembourgish attacking midfielder Dany Freire after the teenager impressed during a trial period with the club’s academy.

Freire signed his contract on Saturday, the day of his 16th birthday, allowing Barcelona to formally complete the move after weeks of positive reports from his time with the club’s youth teams.

The teenager had been unable to sign earlier because FIFA rules prevent foreign players from formally joining an overseas club before turning 16. Once he reached the required age, Barcelona finalised the agreement and brought his trial period to an end.

Freire was born in Lisbon but developed in Luxembourg, where he represented Racing FC Union Luxembourg and Fola Esch. He has also played for Luxembourg at youth international level.

The attacking midfielder joined Barcelona’s academy set-up for a summer trial and quickly impressed coaches with his technical ability and goalscoring displays in friendly and tournament matches. He also featured in a youth Clásico victory over Real Madrid during his trial.

Freire is expected to begin his Barcelona career with the Juvenil B under-18 side, coached by Cesc Bosch. The move gives him an opportunity to continue his development within the La Masia structure.

Barcelona’s recruitment of Freire reflects the club’s continued effort to identify young talent from across Europe, with the 16-year-old now beginning the next stage of his development in Catalonia.