Las Palmas’ Alberto Moleiro is the subject of interest from both Manchester City and Barcelona.
The 19-year-old plays his trade as an attacking midfielder for La Liga 2 side Las Palmas.
Moleiro joined the club’s youth system in 2018 and has developed ever since, reaching the first team last year.
The Spaniard’s burst onto the senior stage had attracted interest from both Spanish giants Barcelona as well as Premier League Champions Manchester City.
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It is reported by Mundo Deportivo and relayed by Sport Witness that the former have agreed a fixed fee of around €8-10m with Las Palmas.
Miguel Ángel Ramírez, President of the Spanish club, traveled to Barcelona and held talks with the Blaugrana on Monday.
However, this meeting ‘ended badly’ and the “differences are abysmal.”
The President arrived with a belief of closing the deal, but he “left angry”, leaving the door open for City to capitalise.
The Premier League Champions want the midfielder but Moleiro prefers a move to Barcelona and is prepared to wait for that deal to materialise.
Mundo insist that the relationship between the Presidents of the two Spanish clubs could be the key to “unraveling the operation.”
Moleiro made 35 appearances in the Segunda Division last season and scored three goals as well as adding a solitary assist.
With statistics like these, the player would need to develop before seeing regular game time at either club but both outfits recognise the potential that teenager possesses.
The relationship between City and Barcelona is a healthy one but when it comes to competition for young talent, the rivalry can heat up.
The Blaugrana have been in financial trouble for a number of years now, and still owe many of their current players money such as £17m to Manchester United target Frenkie De Jong.
It remains to be seen if Barcelona can continue to compete with their fellow big clubs for the signatures of players until their monetary woes are fixed.
As this continues to plague the Spanish giants, their transfer focus is likely to be centred on younger and cheaper players to develop such as Moleiro.
City will not only have to convince the player that the Etihad Stadium is the right destination, but also overcome the Catalan club if they are to seal the transfer.
Topics: Manchester City, Manchester City Transfer News & Rumours, Barcelona
Edward Burnett