Chelsea have taken pole position in the race to sign Barcelona teenager Ilaix Moriba this summer, according to Todo Fichajes.
Moriba, who made 18 first-team appearances for Barca last campaign, is considered to be one of the club’s most promising young talents.
However, with his contract due to expire next summer, as is reported by Transfermarkt, Joan Laporta will have to concede he has lost control of his future.
With every month that passes between now and the expiration date in his contract, Moriba loses value. Come next year, he could leave on a free.
Laporta needs to establish, ideally before the end of the transfer window, whether Moriba has any intention of sticking around at the Nou Camp.
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Todo Fichajes cast doubt over the 18-year-old’s continuation with the Catalan giants, reporting that Barca are open to the idea of cashing in.
It’s believed that the European champions are in contact with both Barca and Moriba’s agent over the possibility of striking a deal.
The potential stumbling block, as is outlined in the report, is the transfer fee, with Chelsea offering €15M and Barca demanding nearer to €30M.
The difficulty from Laporta’s perspective is that he has very little bargaining power, especially if he senses that Moriba will not renew his contract.
This is one that could develop in the weeks ahead, especially with Barcelona in financial crisis.
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