Barcelona's plight stopped them signing 'next Pedri'

Stuart Telford

• 26 Feb 2023 12:50 GMT
• 3 min read

Barcelona wanted to sign prodigious La Palmas midfielder Alberto Moleiro in the January window but were unable to complete the transfer even though they were quoted a knock-down price.

Moleiro has emerged as one of the brightest prospects in Spanish football, pulling the strings for Las Palmas this season with eight assists in 27 games to steer the Gran Canarian side to the top of the Segunda Division standings.

Barca signed Moleiro's fellow Canary Islander Pedri from Las Palmas for €17.5 million in September 2019, and little more than two years later they went back in for another potential Golden Boy in Moleiro.

READ: Barcelona's banter era: 2017 until… today?

"Moleiro has a release clause of €30 million, which could rise to €60m in the event that the team is promoted to La Liga," report Spanish daily, Sport.

Moleiro's knock-down price

"Barca were already considering his signing a few months ago, but Las Palmas requested a minimum transfer fee of €10m up front with €15m to follow in add-ons, figures that were rejected by Barca."

It comes against a backdrop of near financial obliteration for Barca. The club were €1.35 bilion in debt when they lost Lionel Messi in the summer of 2021, and although Joan Laporta has activated 'financial levers', they aren't out of the woods yet.

READ: Real Madrid determined not to miss out on the next Pedri

Last Thursday's Europe League exit at the hands of Manchester United has blown a €14m hole in their budget at a time when La Liga have told them to balance their books to the tune of €200m in time for next season.

A few years ago, the idea of Barcelona baulking at the price they were quoted for Moleiro would have seemed unimaginable, but now they face the very real prospect of seeing him another European giant, with Real Madrid and Manchester City also reportedly interested.