The Barcelona circus continues.
Preparations for the new season are underway, and it seems that young midfielder Ilaix Moriba is not a part of them. His contract is being terminated and he has not yet agreed on an extension, and until he does, he has been banned from training before the season and faces the prospect of being sold.
Okay then. Where do we start with this?
Moriba was a revelation last season, breaking through Ronald Koeman’s first team in March and remaining a regular part of the squad until the end of the season. With some excellent performances in midfield, he showed exactly why many consider him one of the game’s most exciting young players.
Let us emphasize this. Moriba is not only invited as a possible future star. Many scouts have earmarked him as someone with the potential to dominate world football in the coming years. The overwhelming belief is that Moriba is about to make pieces.
And yet Barcelona can not tie him.
Moriba has rejected a new contract / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Now, in Barcelona’s defense, it is not as if they have not tried to keep the 18-year-old. They know how good he is and have been trying to tie him to a new deal for a while now, but none of their offers have hit the mark.
Moriba wants more than what Barcelona has put on the table, and the fact that the Spanish side does not stumble over itself to offer it is astonishing.
We all know about Barcelona’s financial difficulties. They want to terminate contracts and send players out in a desperate attempt to free up some money, and although it is possible that La Blaugrana cannot physically offer Moriba what he wants, it seems very unlikely.
After all, the news of Moriba’s deportation came on the same day as it was revealed that Barcelona had paid 500,000 euros to sign Austrian star Yusuf Demir on loan to his reserve team and negotiate with himself for 10 million euros to buy the 18-year-old as well. . They obviously do not pay all the money now, but the cash is clearly there to play with if needed.
Oh my word … brilliant from Ilaix Moriba! ?
What way for the 18-year-old to get his first goal for Barcelona? pic.twitter.com/S6t4JyilwE
– Premier Sports? (@PremierSportsTV) March 6, 2021
Maybe not splash out on players for your reserve team right now? Maybe not sign Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay while you still have lots of forwards on the books? Maybe not bring in players when you know you need to ask them to take a pay cut literally weeks after promising them more money?
Barcelona can cry over mistakes from former president Josep Maria Bartomeu, who alone paralyzed the club with some unbelievably bad decisions, but let’s not pretend that his replacement, Joan Laporta, should fix things right.
They have thrown money at players even though they know they can not live up to their promises, and they have prioritized big names over young players like Moriba. It’s exactly the same as 12 months ago, just without the £ 100m transfer fee. Baby rose, I guess.
Laporta makes the same mistake as Bartomeu / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
In the midst of all the chaos, Barcelona saves on one of the best prospects to get out of La Masia in several years. They have left themselves unable to offer Moriba what he wants, but even if they can improve their offer, what does Moriba say will not reject them anyway?
Barcelona tried to put Georginio Wijnaldum in front of Moriba in the picking order and are now acting confused about why the teenager does not want to stay. If Barcelona will not commit to him, then why would he be stupid enough to put pen to paper?
Moriba will arouse great interest / Eric Alonso / Getty Images
Their loss will be another team’s win. Manchester United and Chelsea are regularly linked with Moriba, but if he really hits the market, expect every side in Europe to reach out with a lucrative contract. This is the type of player who does not come too often.
Barcelona have made a lot of mistakes in recent years, and losing Moriba may well be the most devastating result. They are in ruins in the short term, but the future gets darker with each passing day.
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