Ilaix Moriba landed at RB Leipzig, having honed his craft in the same Barcelona team as Lionel Messi. bundesliga.com profiles the highly rated teen midfielder now at the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations with Guinea...

Ilaix Moriba

Age: 18
Club: RB Leipzig
Position: Central midfielder
Country: Guinea (Nine youth caps, two goals for Spain)

Key stats

Moriba joined the Barcelona youth academy at 14, and went on to play for the club's U16s, 19s and reserves before debuting for the first team shortly after turning 18 in January 2021, in the Copa Del Rey.

The Guinea-born Spain youth international made three appearances during Barca's triumphant cup campaign, and also got his first taste of the UEFA Champions League as a substitute against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.

Watch: Ilaix Moriba - RB Leipzig's latest talent

Moriba made his La Liga bow in March 2021, scoring one and making three across his first four top-flight outings. At 18 years and 25 days old, he is the youngest player since the turn of the century to provide an assist on his La Liga debut and became the fifth-youngest goalscorer in Barca history by bagging a goal in their 3-0 win over Osasuna. When he penned a five-year deal with Leipzig on 31 August 2021, the 6'0" right-footer had already made 18 senior club appearances, including five starts.

German football fans got to see Moriba in action for the first time on Matchday 7 of the 2021/22 campaign. The teenager made his Bundesliga debut as a 79th-minute substitute in the 3-0 win at home to Bochum. He managed two league appearances, three UEFA Champions League games and one DFB Cup outing in the first half of the season before being called-up for Guinea's 2022 African Cup of Nations campaign, after receiving FIFA clearance to switch allegiance to his country of birth in November 2021. In September, Moriba was also named as one of the top-40 young players in Europe, nominated for the Golden Boy award alongside teammates Brian Brobbey and Josko Gvardiol.

Plays a bit like: Paul Pogba

Here's why. A rangy and technical central midfielder, Moriba's in his element when striding forwards into opposition territory. Add raw power and vision to the equation, and it's really no wonder he was nicknamed 'Barca's Pogba'.

"Everyone says I'm like Pogba," Moriba told Mundo Deportivo. "I like that, of course I do, but Busquets and Iniesta were the ones who made me want to become a midfielder. Everything I have learned, I have learned from them."

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Did you know?

"We said 'no' to a lot of money," Mamady Moriba, Ilaix's father, told Ser Catalunya after his son signed pro terms with Barcelona. "We had offers from Chelsea, Manchester City and Juventus."

Moriba put pen to paper on a bumper deal shortly after turning 16, but not before a massive administrative error on Barca's part. The Catalan outfit reportedly sent his contract papers to former club and city rivals Espanyol.

Happily, Leipzig made no such mistake as they got a deal over the line on summer 2021 transfer deadline day.

Iliax Moriba (r.) made his Bundesliga debut on Matchday 7 of the 2021/22 campaign and has been likened in style to Paul Pogba. - motivio via www.imago-images.de/imago images/motivio

What they're saying

"We have been able to land an exceptional talent in Ilaix Moriba. We are very proud that he has chosen RB Leipzig, despite many offers from several top clubs in Europe." - Leipzig commercial director for sport Florian Scholz

"I trust Ilaix to shape an era in world football." - ex-Barcelona B head coach Francisco Garcia Pimienta

"He's physically very strong, but he's also a very intelligent player. He's a top player, no doubt." - former Barcelona youth coach Denis Silva Puig

About the clubs

RB Leipzig

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