Barca move quickly to hold onto Nigerian `wonder kid` (14.08.2001)
Barcelona have moved quickly to tie Nigerian youngster Haruna Babangida to a new, long-term deal.
The 18 year-old midfielder has been forced to renegotiate his Barca deal after FIFA found that his previous contract was invalid as it was signed when he was a minor.
Babangida arrived at Barca in 1997 as a 14 year-old and immediately dazzled the coaching staff with his
skilland ability. Former trainer Louis van Gaal actually played him in a number of senior friendlies during that first season, before injury forced the youngster to the sidelines.
A regular with Barcelona `B`, the Spanish giants were desperate to renegotiate his contract after the FIFA ruling as Babangida would have been allowed to leave on October 1 - his 18th birthday - as a free
