Ilaix Moriba's father reveals he cancelled flight to halt Man City move amid Barca talks

More than a week ago, Barcelona managed a thrilling 2-0 win over Osasuna with Jordi Alba being among the regular names in the scoresheet. But Ilaix Moriba's goal later in the game sparked a debate over the new talent with Ronald Koeman trusting him with six appearances this season. His father has now recalled an anecdote when he had to cancel a flight to the UK to disrupt a move to Manchester City to ensure he continued playing with Barcelona's youth team. 

Ilaix Moriba's father recalls failed Man City move 

A deal for Ilaix Moriba to Man City was close to an agreement two years ago after Barcelona did not send out any favourable signs over his future. The Guinea-born youngster even booked a ticket for Manchester to sign his first professional contract with the Etihad-based outfit. 

But Ilaix Moriba's father Mamady Kourouma cancelled the ticket to Manchester the morning of the flight after an initial breakthrough in talks with Barcelona. Speaking to Sport, Kourouma said, "With Barcelona, the negotiations did not advance. We met with Txiki Begiristain (City’s sporting director) and he explained his entire project to us."

“We liked it because they bet a lot on him. A few weeks later we had the tickets to travel to Manchester and sign the contract. I cancelled it the morning that we had to go there. I wanted Ilaix to be an example and a reference for the next generations of Barcelona," added his father. 

Ilaix Moriba release clause estimated at  €104m

Barcelona went on to reward his determination to succeed at the club with a new contract, making him the highest-paid player in the history of La Masia. Moreover, a massive €104 million release clause was inserted in his contract to fend off any initial interest from other clubs in Europe. 

Notably, the Ilaix Moriba contract with Barcelona comes to an end in the summer of 2022. The Catalan giants are seemingly impressed with his spectacular display and are willing to extend his stay beyond the current deal. Meanwhile, Manchester United are reportedly interested in the midfielder as the ideal replacement for Paul Pogba. 

Barcelona keen on extending Ilaix Moriba contract beyond current deal 

Chelsea are also pondering upon the idea of signing Ilaix Moriba with Thomas Tuchel particularly concerned over N'Golo Kante's replacement options. Although Ilaix Moriba is keen on extending his stay with the Blaugrana, he is averse to the idea of Barcelona's intention to raise it to €400 million. 

Image courtesy: Ilaix Moriba Twitter