A few years ago, a young talent from La Masia excelled brightly and was emerging as one of FC Barcelona's great promises. His breakthrough into the first team was meteoric, earning the coach's trust and the fans' affection. However, his path took a turn when, in the midst of negotiations for his renewal, he decided to leave the club in search of a more lucrative contract.
Since then, his career has been marked by instability, loans, and performance well below expectations. Now, four years after his departure, he has broken the silence and publicly admitted that he made a grave mistake by leaving Barça.
A Rash Decision That Changed His Destiny
In 2021, this young player had everything to succeed at FC Barcelona. At just 18 years old, he was already a regular in the first team drafts and his potential was undeniable. However, his entourage pressured him to seek a more economically profitable exit, which led to a break with the club.
Barça, which at that time was going through a financial crisis, chose to accept an offer of more than 16 million euros for his transfer. For the management, it was an opportunity to earn income from a player who didn't want to continue with the team.
The blaugrana promise packed his bags for a different league, trusting that his talent would allow him to shine away from Camp Nou. But the reality was very different.
The Decline After His Departure
Far from establishing himself as a star in his new team, his progression stalled. Opportunities were scarce, criticisms began to accumulate and, over time, he went from being a future prospect to a discarded player.
After several failed attempts to find his place, he ended up being loaned to other clubs in search of playing time. But he never managed to regain the level he showed at the beginning.
"I Made a Mistake Leaving Barça"
Now, at 22 years old, he has decided to be honest about his situation. In recent statements, he has acknowledged that his departure from FC Barcelona was a mistake:
"I made a mistake leaving Barça. I was very young and had a lot of pressures. For a moment I thought everything was over. Luckily now I'm happy at Celta. I want to show everyone that I still have the football that made me stand out."
His present is at Celta de Vigo, where he plays on loan and fights to recover his best version. However, his original club has already decided that they don't count on him and has put him on the market to sell him in the next transfer window.
From Being Worth 16 Million to Costing 4.5
The team that signed him in 2021 has already lost patience and seeks to get rid of him permanently. At the moment, his market price has dropped drastically, and Celta could acquire him for just 4.5 million euros.
Meanwhile, Barça hasn't shown interest in his return. His departure, controversial at the time, ended up being one of the best financial operations for the club, as they managed to sell him for an amount that today seems impossible to reach.
Yes, the protagonist of this story is Ilaix Moriba. The same one who once refused to renew with Barça to leave for Leipzig in search of a better contract. Four years later, his career hasn't followed the path he expected and now he finds himself at a crossroads.
His talent is still there, but opportunities in elite teams seem to have vanished. He still has time to straighten his career, but the feeling is that he will never be the player many imagined when he dazzled at Camp Nou.
Football doesn't forgive, and Ilaix Moriba is the clear example that sometimes money isn't everything.