Ligue 1 prodigy reveals admiration for Barcelona amid transfer links | OneFootball

Eliesse Ben Seghir has been one of the names recently linked with a move to Barcelona, as the club look to further enhance their ranks in the attacking department.

Born in Saint Tropez, the Moroccan left winger has a contract with Monaco until 2027 and has already made an impact with 7 goals and 4 assists in 28 games, alongside 3 goals in 8 caps for Morocco.

Ben Seghir heaps praise for Barcelona

In the midst of speculation linking him with a move to Barcelona, Ben Seghir, in a recent interview, has expressed his admiration for the Catalan club.

Ben Seghir shared his first significant encounter with FC Barcelona, saying (h/t Mundo Deportivo):

“On the first trip of my life we ​​went to Spain, to Barcelona. I was so happy. We visited the Camp Nou, the training centre, and I stood in front doing ‘dabs’ while my brother filmed me.”

His connection with the club doesn’t end there; his football inspirations are all former Barça stars, including Neymar.

“In football, my idol, I would say Neymar. I really like his style of play. All the youngsters love Neymar and see themselves in him. He is the idol of many youngsters.”

Ben Seghir went on to talk about Lionel Messi as well as well Ousmane Dembele, two former Barcelona superstars.

Ben Seghir is one of the rising stars in Ligue 1 (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“There is also Messi. What he does on the pitch is incredible. He has the ability to eliminate an entire team and score a goal to help his team win.

“It is not given to everyone. I have also always appreciated Ousmane Dembele for his way of thinking. He doesn’t worry, he has fun. I like this mentality,” he added.

Ben Seghir also recalled the moment he played against Barcelona in the Champions League, earlier in the season as Monaco secured a win against Hansi Flick’s men.

“I made my debut in the Champions League this year, it’s a dream come true. All football fans who watched this competition on television have dreamed of participating in it, listening to the music while the players come on, it’s incredible,” he said.

“It’s the pinnacle of football on a European scale, everyone sees you, it’s the most eagerly awaited competition. (…)

“We beat Barça, it’s a memory (…) a very nice moment, a great victory. Mentally it was good for the whole group. And even for everyone’s ego, beating Barça is good,” he concluded.

Currently, one of Monaco’s most productive players going forward, one would expect Ben Seghir to continue his exploits until the end of the season.

So needless to say, the Moroccan international could become a hot prospect in the market next summer and it will be interesting to see whether or not Barcelona jump in to make a move.