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According to the Sun, Manchester United and Chelsea are interested in signing fast-rising Barcelona star Ilaix Moriba and look set to battle for his services in the summer.
After his promotion to the first-team in January, Moriba has caught the eye of many across Europe with his assured performance for Barcelona. The 18-year-old was handed his sixth appearances for Barcelona against Osasuna in the weekend and became the fifth-youngest goalscorer in the club's history.
Ilaix Moriba, who has been dubbed the 'new Paul Pogba' is now being pursued by two English Premier League giants in Manchester United and Chelsea, who are looking to snap up the midfielder in the summer.
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Chelsea are believed to be the frontrunners in the race to sign the Guinea-born midfielder, with reports claiming they have already made an important offer for the Barcelona man. Thomas Tuchel is reportedly keen on bolstering his squad in the summer by injecting fresh legs into the team's midfield to provide competition for the likes of Jorginho, N'Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic.
Manchester United are reportedly also monitoring Moriba’s progress with Barcelona while Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig are also said to be interested in the player.
Barcelona looking to keep Moriba amid Manchester United and Chelsea interest
With Moriba’s contract expiring in the summer of 2022, Spanish news outlet Mundo Deportivo claim that Barcelona are looking to offer the midfielder a new and improved contract to fend off interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.
Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman has incorporated many young players into his setup, with the likes of Pedri, Francisco Trincao and Oscar Mingueza becoming an important part of the team.
The Dutchman is now is set to hand Ilaix Moriba a regular role in his squad for the remainder of the season. Following the win at Osasuna, Koeman claimed Moriba is one of Barcelona's future stars.
"Ilaix scored a goal in a difficult match and at 0-2, we killed off the game. Every time Moriba enters the pitch, he brings something extra,” the Koeman said after the match via Goal.
"Players like Pedri, Ilaix, Riqui, Araújo and Mingueza are the future of the club. Ilaix is young but is physically very strong. He's gaining ground to be with the first team more often," Koeman added.
