Report: Barcelona find breakthrough in renewal talks with midfield prospect | OneFootball

According to SPORT, Barcelona and La Masia teen star Ilaix Moriba’s agents were spotted in the Barça offices today. The young starlet enjoyed his breakout campaign this season under the tutelage of Ronald Koeman. Moriba was trusted ahead of experienced midfielders like Miralem Pjnaic and others in the Dutchman’s order of preference, racking up 536 minutes across 14 league appearances.

Moriba has been a breath of fresh air for Culés. Not only does he dominate the fundamentals required by a Blaugrana midfielder, he also brings a whole different skill set that is unique compared to most players that come out of La Masia. In a new generation of players, Moriba and Nico Gonzalez often stand out for their tall, strong, and dominant build.

While Gonzalez himself has enjoyed a stellar campaign with the subsidiary, Ilaix Moriba has taken it a step above by not only making his debut in La Liga, but shining in nearly every appearance he has made in the first team. Bringing the mature understanding of several positional play concepts in at the tender of age of 18, the young Guinean-born player is destined for stardom at Barça.

Impressively, he does not carry himself similar to that of Barça legends Xavi Hernandez or Andres Iniesta, or perhaps he is different from even Riqui Puig and Pedri. Instead, Moriba offers the balanced profile of a tactically and technically proficient midfielder as well as a physically dominant, strong player.

It is therefore encouraging to hear that his representatives were spotted in Barça’s offices. With his current contract running out next summer, it is important than Joan Laporta and his board get the youngster to pen down his next deal as soon as possible.

With several financial constraints, the president will surely be looking to make an offer that isn’t prematurely too high. Therefore, the risk of the youngster declining the contract remains. Only time can tell how the talks will unfold, but early sensations indicate that the youngster is keen to make a name for himself donning claret and blue.