Barcelona agree £17.1 midfielder deal, five-year contract accepted

Barcelona are finally set to see the back of Ilaix Moriba after a difficult summer of negotiations with the midfielder and his representatives. They have now reached an acceptable transfer agreement with Red Bull Leipzig in Germany. The Catalan club were keen to retain the La Masia graduate but his demands proved too expensive in light of the club's current financial struggles.

The 18-year-old midfielder's current deal expires in 2022 and the La Liga giants were keen to extend his stay beyond next summer. Despite holding multiple conversations, both sides were unable to reach a breakthrough with Barcelona finally accepting that Moriba's future was away from the Camp Nou.

The Spain youth international had a number of suitors from the Premier League and German Bundesliga. Manchester City and Chelsea were both keen to sign him, but were unwilling to meet Barcelona's €15 million (£12.8m) upfront valuation, and Leipzig were initially hoping to sign him on a free transfer in 2022 after their initial bid of €6 million was rejected.

However, according to ESPN, Leipzig returned to the table with a new bid and on Monday agreed a €20 million (£17.1m) fee including add-ons for Moriba. The midfielder has already agreed terms on a five-year deal with the Bundesliga club with the announcement expected to made on Tuesday following his medical.

The German club will pay Barcelona €15 million up front with a further €5 million expected to arrive based on a number of performance related clauses. Despite the La Liga club having been ready to make the player sit in the stands during the 2021-22 campaign, the Barcelona management will be glad to have brokered a substantial fee, which is certain to ease their financial troubles.

Moriba was considered an integral part of Ronald Koeman's plans ahead of this summer's contract negotiations. He made 18 first-team appearances last season and was viewed as a long-term replacement for Sergio Busquets.

It is unclear if Barcelona will enter the market in the final hours of the transfer window on Tuesday to find a replacement. They still have Miralem Pjanic in their roster, with the club struggling to find the Bosnian a new home despite strong links with a return to Juventus.