17-year-old Barcelona wonderkid Mateu Morey is reportedly set to quit the club’s La Masia academy to join Bayern Munich in the summer.
According to a report in Spanish outlet Sport, 17-year-old right-back Mateu Morey is set to become the latest prodigious talent to leave Barcelona’s La Masia academy in the summer transfer window. The Spanish wonderkid has been snapped up by Bundesliga heavyweights Bayern Munich.
Mateu Morey is a 17-year-old defender who plies his trade on the right side of defence, and has been rated as one of the brightest prospects in Barcelona’s La Masia academy. The player is a typically modern full-back with his bombarding runs down the right flank, while being an adept defender at the same time.
(@gerardromero)
Mateu Morey (17) will join Bayern for 3mI’m so done man…these are our best talents leaving…Mboula, Garcia, now Morey! pic.twitter.com/URWZi2WjEG
— M·A·J (@UltraAutistic) June 28, 2017
Morey was also one of the standouts player for his national side as Spain won the under-17 European Championship in South Korea earlier this year. He was, thus, rightly being touted to have a bright future at Barcelona, and was set to play for the club’s Juvenil A side next season after spending two years with the Juvenil B team.
However, Morey’s future does not lie at Camp Nou as he is set to join Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window, who have beaten stiff competition to secure the services of the player. And thus, the teenager has become the latest in what is turning out to be a La Masia exodus this summer.
Fellow Spain under-17 international Eric Garcia and Jordin Mboula have already departed from the fabled academy this month, having joined Manchester City and AS Monaco respectively.
And with players like Carles Alena and Seung-Woo Lee being heavily linked with summer exits as well, the crisis seems to be deepening at Barcelona.
Mateu Morey at #U17EURO:
400 mins ⏱
9 fouls suffered ?
3 goals ⚽️
1 assist ?️His goal in the final captured everything classy about him. pic.twitter.com/KPIrrphT6B
— Scouted Football (@ScoutedFtbl) May 20, 2017
Indeed, with the Catalan club’s first-team setup brimming with world class players, youngsters at the academy are getting fewer opportunities to make the step up to the senior side as the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta were afforded.
Bayern, meanwhile, could have found a long-term solution at right-back with Philipp Lahm’s retirement leaving Carlo Ancelotti with veteran defender, Rafinha as his only recognised option.
While the versatile Joshua Kimmich could initially be the backup option for the Brazilian right-back, Morey could soon make the step up to the first-team setup if he continues his impressive development in the junior sides.
The report claims that the Bavarian giants will shell out €3 million to secure Morey’s services. It now remains to be seen if the 17-year-old turns out to be a success story in similar fashion as that of Thiago Alcantara, who left Barcelona for Bayern Munich due to scarce game time as well.
