Jordi Mboula Completes Transfer to Monaco from Barcelona's La Masia Academy

Ligue 1 champions AS Monaco signed Barcelona academy product Jordi Mboula on a five-year deal on Wednesday.

Monaco vice-president Vadim Vasilyev confirmed the deal on the club's official website (h/t PA Sport, via Sky Sports): "Jordi Mboula has shown very good things with the youth team of FC Barcelona and AS Monaco offers him an ideal environment to continue his progress."  

The 18-year-old forward has left Barca's famed La Masia youth production line for another club valuing young talent, per Vasilyev: "As we have done with players such as Bernardo Silva, Fabinho and Tiemoue Bakayoko, we will support him and help him grow in our team."

Here's a glimpse of Mboula showcasing his potential:

Monaco's academy has produced its own share of exciting prospects in recent years, with 18-year-old striker Kylian Mbappe one of the most sought-after players in the world.

Another gifted forward, Anthony Martial, also came through Monaco's youth ranks before signing for Manchester United in a big-money move in 2015.

Mboula has the raw talent to be the next breakout star for the Ligue 1 side. A UEFA Youth League scouting report lauded his pace: "In Spain they call him a 'jugador explosivo,' which would roughly translate as someone lightning quick out of the blocks."

The same report also noted the comparisons between Mboula and another Monaco academy alumnus, Thierry Henry:

"While at Barcelona the talk may often be of finding the next Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta, in Mboula, they have a player spoken of in the same breath as Thierry Henry. With his talent to play stop-start, cut inside and produce a fine finish it is not hard to see why they nickname him 'Titi'—as the former No. 14 was known."

Henry graduated from Monaco's youth setup on then-manager Arsene Wenger's watch, before eventually reuniting with the Frenchman at Arsenal and winning the UEFA Champions League at Barca.

Now Mboula is set to join the select number of Spaniards who have featured for Monaco, according to OptaJean.