Ilaix agrees personal terms with Leipzig

The Ilaix Moriba transfer saga appears to be nearing a conclusion. Barça are aware that the player already has an agreement with RB Leipzig, which explains why he has been rejecting advances from Premier League clubs in recent days. As things stand, the only exit route deemed acceptable by the player is to the German club. The player's agents are in Barcelona, hoping to tie up a transfer in the coming days. Barça's stance, however, remains the same: either Leipzig pay at least 15 million euros or Ilaix will spend the season with the youth side.

Barça have tried everything to convince Moriba to stay, but this option has been completely ruled out for around a month. The Catalan club asked the player's agents to come back to them with acceptable offers. Since day 1, they have only spoken about Leipzig. An 8 million euro bid was rejected from the German side last week, which led to Barça offering the player to other clubs in order to spark a bidding war. The greatest interest is from Chelsea, since Tottenham Hotspur are not willing to pay 15 million euros for a player with only one year left on his contract. Bayern Munich also enquired about the player's situation. However, Moriba's camp have so far rejected all other proposals in favour of a move to Leipzig.

Barça are in an awkward position, as they know that the player has agreed personal terms with Leipzig. If a deal is not agreed by August 31, Ilaix would be willing to spend a year on the sidelines in order to join the German side on a free transfer next summer. Barça are furious with how the player's agents have handled the situation, and feel that this decision could harm his development as a player.

Moriba's agents are currently trying to convince Leipzig to up their bid, although this seems unlikely. Barça, despite their current financial woes, would not accept a bid as low as 8 million euros, as they fear this would set a poor example to future academy graduates who find themselves in the same situation.