RB Leipzig chief reveals how they edged Tottenham to the signing of Ilaix Moriba
Speaking to BILD (h/t Football.london), RB Leipzig chief Oliver Mintzlaff went on to reveal how they managed to sign Ilaix Moriba ahead of Tottenham. He went on to claim that it was their ability to convince the Barcelona starlet that gave them an edge over other sides.
Spurs were clear in their transfer business this season. They went after young players who could develop into stars over time. They managed to get in the likes of Bryan Gil, Cristian Romero, Emerson Royal and Pape Sarr. However, they also had a few more names on their wishlist that they ended up missing.
Ilaix Moriba was one such name. The talented ex-Barcelona starlet was in the last year of his current deal. Hence, the Spanish side decided to offload him rather than lose him for free. With several sides including Spurs chasing the youngster, RB Leipzig eventually won the race for him. The Bundesliga side went on to pay €22million for him.
Now, with Moriba a part of their side, Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff went onto explain how they won the race for Moriba ahead of other sides such as Spurs.
“Well, for one thing, we didn’t want to go to war with FC Barcelona, it’s also a matter of respect. On the other hand, we have seen with other talents that it is often a long way to become a regular for us. So we wanted to start now rather than later. And it is true that other clubs, namely top clubs from Europe, were also interested. It was an uphill battle, and it was more about conviction than money.”
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Moriba is definitely a talented player and it can be said that Spurs ended up missing out on a good opportunity. However, it was simply a case of Leipzig wanting the player more than Spurs. It will be interesting to see how he continues to develop at the German club.