Arsenal sign Barcelona teenager Toral, Barca slam the Gunners

Arsenal have signed 16-year-old Jon Toral from Barcelona's youth academy.

On Wednesday, Barcelona confirmed that Toral would join Arsenal next season, following in the footsteps of current Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas who joined Arsenal as a 16-year-old himself from Barcelona's youth academy in 2003.

According to reports, Arsenal paid £350,000 for the midfielder Toral.

However, Barcelona are unhappy with the conduct of Arsenal and the manner of their pursuit of the teenager. Barcelona's delegates, reportedly, exchanged heated words with the Arsenal hierarchy over the matter during the Champions League last-16 first-leg at the Emirates last week.

Barcelona president Sandro Rosell told Catalan Television, We told the Arsenal directors that we knew they were after Toral and we told them we didn't like it - as any president would have said. Legally they have done nothing wrong but it's a little immoral.

For us it's very important to keep this group of kids who have grown up together in La Masia. We don't like it that clubs come in with offers of money just before they turn 16. There are two philosophies - ours is to invest in La Masia and the other is to fish all over Europe for kids of 15 like Arsenal.

However, any deal for Toral will not affect the likelihood of a deal for Cesc Fabregas to move to Barcelona.

Rossell added, I don't think it will affect it because one matter has nothing to do with the other. Arsenal already know how we feel and that's it. If our coaches are interested in Cesc, then we'll see what happens in the summer.