Chelsea are reportedly readying a €17 million offer Ilaix Moriba that his agents plan to present to Barcelona in the coming days.
According to a report from Spanish journalist Adrian Sanchez, Barcelona midfield prodigy, Ilaix Moriba, is set to be a subject of a €17 million transfer approach from Premier League bigwigs and reigning European champions Chelsea.
Moriba came through the ranks at Barcelona’s reputed La Masia youth setup. Having progressed rapidly through the age-group levels, the midfielder was fast-tracked into the first-team last season, as he made his debut for Ronald Koeman’s side in January earlier this year in a Copa del Rey clash.
Moriba then went on to become a regular in the Barcelona first-team, as he finished his maiden campaign with a tally of one goal and three assists from a total of 18 games across all competitions. However, as things stand, the 18-year-old could be staring at a non-existent future at Camp Nou after falling out with the club.
Moriba has entered the final year of his contract with Barcelona and has turned down the extension offered by the club due to disagreements over his wages. The Blaugrana have since banished him off to train with the reserve team and with there being no signs of an agreement being arrived at, are prepared to sell for the right offer this summer.
There has been interest in his services from RB Leipzig, but they are waiting until they offload Marcel Sabitzer to make a move for the youngster, which has allowed Chelsea to swoop in. As per the report from Adrian Sanchez, the Blues are ready with an offer of around €17 million, which Moriba’s agents will present to Barcelona shortly.
Chelsea’s links to the 18-year-old are not new. The Blues have been reportedly monitoring his situation for a while now, along with the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City. However, Los Blancos have decided not to pursue the 18-year-old while Manchester City would look to sign him only on a free transfer in the summer of 2022, which leaves Chelsea as the front-runners at the moment.
With Chelsea now readying an offer as well, they could very well be inching closer to the capture of the prodigious midfielder. While Thomas Tuchel already has N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho as his options in midfield, there is a lack of cover behind the trio at the moment, with Billy Gilmour having been sent out on loan.
Adding someone like Moriba would, thus, address that issue while also giving Chelsea a potential long-term replacement option for Kante, who has two years left on his contract and is into his thirties. What now remains to be seen is if the Blues’ reported offer is found acceptable by Barcelona or whether they demand for a higher fee.
