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Barcelona have reportedly hit a wall in their negotiations for midfielder Ilaix Moriba's contract extension. The youngster is in the final year of his current deal and the club are desperate to keep hold of him.
According to SPORT, the contract negotiations were going smoothly but have now hit a hitch in the road. The report states that Moriba's representatives are asking Barcelona to triple the midfielder's wages but the club are reluctant to do so.
Barcelona feel that the demands are unreasonable and are losing patience with Moriba. The Spaniard has not yet responded to the current offer that the club have presented to him, although reports suggest that he wants to stay at the club.
Moriba is currently being forced to train with the Barcelona B team until is contract situation is resolved. According to Football Espana, Barcelona are not planning to improve their current offer and will stand firm if the player decides not to sign the extension.
The Spaniard made 18 appearances for Barcelona in the 2020-21 campaign and is regarded as one of the brightest prospects at the club. However, at just 18 years years old, Blaugrana is not willing to offer him a large contract given the club's financial struggles.
It remains to be seen whether Moriba will be a Barcelona player for much longer.
Barcelona need to reduce their wage bill
La Liga have reportedly sanctioned Barcelona and are forcing the club to reduce their massive wage-bill before the start of the 2021-22 season.
The Blaugrana are yet to re-sign Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi and are now trying to part ways with a number of fringe players to be able to afford his new contract.
Players like Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet, Miralem Pjanic, Philippe Coutinho and Martin Braithwaite are all set to depart the club this summer, while there have also been rumors surrounding French superstar Antoine Griezmann.
If Barcelona have decided to offload players of such caliber, retaining youngsters such as Moriba, Pedri and Ansu Fati will be imperative for the club going forward. The Blaugrana have already brought in the likes of Sergio Aguero, Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia this summer with Ronald Koeman looking to strengthen his squad further before the start of the 2021-22 season.
