Ilaix Moriba is in the final year of his contract (imago Images)
Chelsea will have to overcome interest from Liverpool in order to sign Barcelona wonderkid Ilaix Moriba.
The youngster is one of the best players to come out of La Masia in recent years. He has one year left on his contract and has so far failed to pen fresh terms with Barcelona. This has left the door open for other clubs including Chelsea to pounce.
According to 90min (h/t Daily Star), Liverpool have now thrown their name into the hat for the player. The Merseysiders are hoping to rebuild what has been a sensational team and Moriba would be an excellent addition under Jurgen Klopp.
The major bone of contention between Moriba and Barcelona continues to be his wage demands. The Catalans are reeling from years of financial mismanagement and are in no condition to accept the youngster’s demands.
Barcelona, for their part, are keen to keep the player but president Joan Laporta is in no mood for games and has issued an ultimatum to the player. He is open to Moriba departing, leaving Chelsea optimistic about securing a prime prospect on the cheap.
With neither player nor club willing to back down, his departure from the Nou Camp looks inevitable. Whether it will be to Stamford Bridge or elsewhere remains to be seen.
Liverpool have made contact with the player’s agent and remain hopeful of signing him. Chelsea, too, have also established contact over signing the youngster but where exactly we stand remains unclear.
A host of Premier League clubs are keen on landing the 18-year-old. Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton have all been linked to the youngster.
Moriba came close to joining Manchester City two years ago but his father’s actions saw him stay put at the Nou Camp. Barca went on to reward the player by making him the highest-paid star in the academy and also fast-tracked him to the senior ranks.
Now one of the club’s brightest hopes, it remains to be seen if he will return the favour. Losing him would be yet another blow for Barcelona in a summer that could have a long term impact at the club.
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