Icare Moriba is what we could nickname the 20-year-old midfielder. Slowly establishing himself as a great hope for FC Barcelona at the end of the 2020/2021 season where he had played 18 matches for 1 goal and three offerings, Ilaix Moriba asserted himself as an interesting nugget from the Masia. But by wanting to get too close to the sun, the native of Conakry burned his wings. Too greedy when it came to his contract extension, he was finally sold to RB Leipzig for 16 million euros (€6M bonus and 10% on resale) at the very end of summer 2021. A brutal change for the player who was still happy to join a club whose know-how in nurturing young talents is no longer in doubt: “It was quite difficult for me to leave Barcelona because I had been there for many years, all my life in fact. It was difficult, but the opportunity that Leipzig gave me is, in our opinion, the best decision we could make. I want to be here and start playing.”
But while he saw great things happening in Germany, Ilaix Moriba quickly became disillusioned. Playing only 6 games and 100 minutes of play, he has simply never been a starter for the Saxon club for more than two years. Not entering into the plans of Jesse Marsch, nor of Domenico Tedesco and even less those of Marco Rose, he has simply been out of the Leipzig project for a long time. Loaned in the winter of 2022 to Valencia where he improved his career a little with 18 appearances (1 donation). The relay community will also experience the Guinean selection at this time. Eighth finalist of the last CAN, he displays 17 caps for 1 goal and 4 offerings and remains an executive of Sily National. If things are going well with his selection, on the other hand his situation at the club is still just as complicated. Even if he returned in the summer of 2022 to Leipzig, the door and the path to departure were open to him.
0 minutes with Leipzig, Celta is on the lookout, but…
Valencia, who really liked his first visit, then bet on him for a dry loan without a purchase option. Playing 23 matches (1 goal and 1 gift), he was unable to establish himself over time with a substitute role and it was quite natural that the Murciélagos refused to sign him. Returning once again to Leipzig, he saw the position of the Saxons regarding him being even more clear-cut than before. “I don’t want any player who doesn’t want to be at Leipzig” said the sports director at the time, Max Eberl. The German club’s coach Marco Rose was more temperate, but did not count on him: “I had one or two good conversations with Ilaix, he is aware of his situation that it will be difficult to get playing time. But he is doing very well so far, in terms of behavior and also in terms of the way he trains.” However, if a departure was on the cards throughout the summer, no one really moved for him.
Valencia, which was never completely convinced and whose financial latitude was low, quickly threw in the towel. Leipzig also tried to take advantage of the transfer of Castello Lukeba from Olympique Lyonnais to try to get rid of Ilaix Moriba by offering him to Les Gones. Ultimately, he did not convince the French club who opted for a direct transfer of their player. Ilaix Moriba found himself on the floor again and therefore did not leave. With three years left on his contract, he is champing at the bit and knows he can do nothing more. Called up five times by the German club, he has been on the bench five times, but has made no appearances. If he is still in the Guinean selection and has the opportunity to participate in the African Cup of Nations in January and February next if Kaba Diawara favors what he brings with Guinea (he played 129 minutes in October against Guinea-Bissau and Gabon), his future in club remains an enigma. Sport mentions Celta de Vigo as the main avenue to get him out of trouble, but the fact that he can play in the CAN comes into play. At only 20 years old, Ilaix Moriba’s career is at a standstill…
