Barcelona fear Premier League side is after Ilaix Moriba
Barcelona has been unable to make any type of progress with a contract renewal for midfielder Ilaix Moriba. Their latest round of talks only served to confirm how far apart the parties are in terms of figures.
To make matters worse, the Catalans now believe one of the reasons for the lack of progress is due to the interest of a Premier League side.
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The Barcelona youngster’s future seems to be away from the Camp Nou
According to Sport, Chelsea is not only the club closely monitoring the situation but have also made an offer to the 18-year-old.
Wages has been the major hurdle standing in the way of renewal. The report claims Chelsea may have offered a salary two to three times more than what Barça offered.
If the report is correct, then there is little the club can do to avoid a departure down the line. Barcelona has made their final offer to the player and, at the moment, do not plan to revise it.
He either accepts the terms of the deal or his current situation remain as is. He will not be part of the first team dynamic and will train with Barça B but not play in any official game.
The season is set to start soon and a decision, from either side, needs to be made one way or another.
According to Mundo Deportivo, the final date for such a decision will be Sunday, August 8. They’ve yet to hear word back from the player’s representatives on the latest proposal. The lack of a response is believed, by the club, to be a stalling tactic while they negotiate with other clubs over Ilaix.
Chelsea may lead the race should Ilaix not come to an agreement with Barcelona. But they won’t be the only ones after him. Manchester City had been linked with him in the past and will undoubtedly join the race if the opportunity presents itself.
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Manager Ronald Koeman gave Ilaix his first-team debut and seemed to count on him this season. Whether he will or won’t comes down to Ilaix. Barcelona are prepared to move him on should a deal not be reached.