George Baker
Ilaix Moriba wants to keep release clause below £130m amid Manchester United links
According to The Sun, Manchester United target Illaix Moriba wants to keep his release clause below £130m in a bid to keep more control of his future. The Barcelona starlet will see his current deal expire next year and had been linked with a move to Manchester United and Chelsea.
A youth product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, he has been with the club for 11 years now. He has been tipped as one of the best talents to have emerged from there in recent times.
The midfielder has already been given some first-team minutes in the Copa Del Rey and La Liga this term. He even scored his first goal for the club recently.
Barcelona are keen on extending his deal and even the player is keen on staying. However, Barca want to raise his £85m release clause significantly to fend off interest. Moriba and his agency on the other hand want to keep the new release clause around £130m so as to have more say on his future.
United have shown an interest in the player and even made an offer. Moriba has a contract that expires in 2022 and that should give United some edge with less than 18 months remaining.
However, the player is believed to be wanting to stay back at Barcelona due to the opportunities he has received under Ronald Koeman. The Dutch manager has relied a lot on youngsters such as Moriba, Pedri, Francisco Trincao and Ansu Fati this season.
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Moriba moving to United wouldn’t be an entirely bad idea given the club’s history of nurturing young talents and pushing them to the first-team.
The likes of Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay, Mason Greenwood, Brandon Williams and more recently Shola Shoretire have all come through the ranks to break into the first-team.
