Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on the situation of midfield prodigy Ilaix Moriba at Barcelona with a view to signing him on a free transfer next year.
According to an exclusive report from Defensa Central, Real Madrid are closely monitoring the contract situation of Barcelona youngster Ilaix Moriba as they plot a move to sign him in 2022.
Moriba, a product of the Barcelona youth academy, is regarded as one of the brightest products of La Masia in recent years. The 18-year-old midfielder got his breakthrough with the first-team last season, making his debut in a Copa del Rey clash in January.
Since then, manager Ronald Koeman used him quite regularly, with the youngster finishing the 2020/21 season with 18 appearances in which he scored once and set up three more.
However, heading into the new season, Moriba finds himself staring at an uncertain future at Barcelona. The 18-year-old has entered the final year of his contract with the Catalan giants, and talks over a new deal have not gone smoothly. Indeed, the offer tabled by the club is not meeting the youngster’s demand, resulting in him not putting pen to paper on a new deal.
In order to pressure him, Barcelona have removed Moriba from first-team training and sent him back to the club’s B side for the pre-season. And, the situation has led to a lot of interest from clubs within Spain and across Europe. Indeed, Atletico Madrid have shown an interest in signing the 18-year-old, while Manchester United have already lodged a bid for his services.
Now, it seems like Real Madrid, too, have entered the fray for the signing of Moriba. As per the aforementioned report, the Merengues are keeping a close watch on the entire situation surrounding the Barcelona youngster, with his camp said to have mentioned the club’s name during negotiations with the Blaugrana.
And, the report goes on to add that if there is genuine interest on Moriba’s part to make the switch to the Spanish capital club, Real Madrid will look to bring him in. However, any move would have to wait till the summer of 2022, when his contract runs out, as Los Blancos are aware that Barcelona would demand a massive fee for him in the ongoing transfer window if they were to register an interest.
Given that the likes of Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are not getting any younger, Real Madrid could certainly use the injection of a young, promising footballer like Moriba. However, it remains to be seen if the 18-year-old is willing to make a move to the Bernabeu, which would mean he will likely have to spend the entire season with the Barcelona B team and not sign a new contract.
