Manchester United have reportedly been given a boost in their pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Ilaix Moriba, the African-born teenager who has been dubbed the "next Paul Pogba".
According to the Daily Express, the Red Devils are targeting young prodigy Moriba after the LaLiga side's president Joan Laporta confirmed that the midfielder had rejected a new contract with Barca.
With it being claimed the player was dissatisfied with the wages offered, Laporta has reportedly made it clear that if Moriba won't agree to the new deal, he can leave the Camp Nou.
In recent times, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United have seemingly adjusted their model of buying players at their peak to buying young footballers who can potentially become great, as indicated by the recent purchases of Amad Diallo, Jadon Sancho, Facundo Pellistri and Hannibal Mejbri, among others.
Read: Barca 'to pursue' R768m Man City star
The Red Devils are seemingly hoping Moriba will soon join the abovementioned young stars at Old Trafford.
The midfielder, who is just 18 years old and is one of the latest products of Barcelona's famous La Masia youth set-up, received his first-team debut in February this year after some impressive displays for the Spanish club's reserve team.
Moriba, who was born in Guinea but has represented Spain at youth level, went on to make 18 appearances for the Blaugrana in the rest of the 2020/21 campaign, and has even been described as the "next Pogba" by some.
While the real Pogba's future at United remains uncertain following reports that he wants to move to Paris Saint-Germain, he might find himself being replaced by the wonderkid from Barca.
Scroll through the gallery below to see United's eight-man exit list, per ESPN
