TOTTENHAM have agreed personal terms with Barcelona wonderkid Ilaix Moriba, according to reports.
The midfielder burst onto the scene last season – appearing 18 times for Ronald Koeman.
But after rejecting Barca‘s offer of a new four-year deal in June, Moriba has found himself ostracised from the club’s first-team set-up.
The 18-year-old was not invited to return for pre-season in July, instead being told to report for Barca B duty on August 1.
And even the club’s second team have refused to use the talented starlet so far this season.
According to Mundo Deportivo, this has led to Spurs swooping in.
The Catalan paper report that Moriba, who has previously been linked with Chelsea, was in London over the weekend.
But it was Spurs, and not the Blues, that had advanced in negotiations.
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It is now claimed that the North Londoners have agreed terms with Moriba, and that talks over a fee with Barca are set to intensify.
The LaLiga giants are said to want around £17million for the Guinean born talent.
Last Friday, Koeman said of Moriba’s situation: “I spoke with Ilaix two or three weeks ago, more as a person than as Barca coach.
“His situation is horrible because he is 18-years-old, has been able to play for the first team and is the future of the club. And he is not playing, is not with us.
“I know the club wants to offer this player (a new contract). And my advice (to him) is that money is not the most important thing; that is to play games.
“But the player, and with his people, have decided differently. I am disappointed by this because I believe that in football there is more than contracts.
“For someone of 18, the most important thing should not be money.”
Moriba himself wrote on Instagram last weekend, after Barca had drawn 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao: “Thousands of rumours and nobody knows the truth.”
Spurs are also on the verge of signing another teenage midfielder in Metz star Pape Matar Sarr.
The 18-year-old is set to join the Lilywhites on a long-term contract, before returning to Ligue 1 on loan for the rest of the season.
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