Ilaix Moriba might leave Barcelona after contract bust-up

Barcelona are in danger of losing one of their highest-rated academy prospects at the moment, Ilaix Moriba, according to Marca.

At the age of 18, Ilaix has 18 first-team appearances under his belt so far, together with one goal and three assists. He clearly stands out from the rest of the boys of his age at the club, and following the club’s failure to land Georginio Wijnaldum this summer, it was expected he would be given a relatively prominent role in 2021-22, and a contract to reflect his progress.

However, Barcelona are in a difficult financial situation. They need to cut down their wage bill as much as possible to be able to re-sign Lionel Messi and register the players they’ve already acquired. Therefore, the contract they offered Ilaix was the same as that given to the rest of the academy players, who have no first-team experience.

Disappointed, Ilaix refused to sign it and there has been no second offer. Instead, he has been demoted to the club’s ‘B’ side and told he will remain there until he signs.

But with his current deal expiring in 2022, the youngster is not expected to agree and will likely seek to leave the Camp Nou, either this summer for a fee, or the next as a free agent.