In a recent report, Cadena SER mentioned that Barcelona are only willing to let Moriba leave for Є20m. It is understood that the Catalans youngster is pushing for a move to Red Bull Leipzig but Barca are refusing to lower their valuation and are even willing to let the player train with their ‘B’ team if need be until his contract runs out at the end of this campaign.
Moriba’s Impressive Rise In Spanish Football
Moriba came through the youth ranks of Barcelona and deserves a lot of credit for establishing himself as a valuable member of Ronald Koeman’s squad in the previous campaign. The Spanish midfield ace appeared in 18 senior matches for the Catalan outfit last season, netting one goal and securing three assists across various competitions.
The talented teenager managed to give a good account of himself, mostly off the bench after he averaged 1.0 tackles, 0.4 interceptions, 0.9 shots, 0.5 key passes and 1.2 dribbles per game in La Liga football. Moriba was also an exceptional distributor of the ball as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 91.6% in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).
With less than a year left to run in his contract at the Nou Camp, Barca will have to find a new buyer this summer or else risk losing him as a free agent at the end of this season. The Spaniard can also benefit from a change of scenery as he is currently surplus to requirements at the Catalan club.
Barca Refusing To Lower Their Є20m Valuation Of Moriba: Good Decision By The Catalans?
Moriba is a tough-tackling midfielder who can use his pace to make some clever dashes with the ball from midfield. He is an accurate passer of the ball and can create a few decent plays for others around him in the opponent’s half.
The Spanish whizkid has a wide range of passes under his belt and can keep possession moving with conviction going forward. However, he is still quite raw and would need time to hone his skills and become a world-class player in his position someday.
Therefore, Barca’s reluctance to lower their Є20m price tag seems justified as Moriba has the potential to become a future star in European football. However, it would be a better decision by Koeman to sell him to the highest bidder before the end of this transfer window as the Catalan club are in dire need to raise funds to ease their financial concerns this summer.
