Manchester United are challenging RB Leipzig and Chelsea for Barcelona whiz Ilaix Moriba.
Mundo Deportivo says United are ahead of their Premier League rivals in the race to land the Guinean-born Spaniard.
If the Red Devils were to make a move for Moriba in the summer, they would have to meet his whopping £86million release clause.
Moriba’s contract with Barca – who are currently second in the La Liga table – is set to expire in the summer of 2022.
But according to his father Mamady Kourouma – who acts as his agent – his intention is to stay with the Catalan club.
Moriba was the subject of interest from Manchester City chief Pep Guardiola in the summer of 2019 before he penned a professional contract with Barca.
And he would’ve linked up with the former Barca boss had it not been for a late change of heart from his dad.
Kourouma said: “We met with Txiki Begiristain [City’s sporting director] and he explained his entire project to us.
“We liked it because they bet a lot on him. A few weeks later we had the tickets to travel to Manchester and sign the contract.
“I cancelled it the morning that we had to go there. I wanted Ilaix to be an example and a reference for the next generations of Barcelona.
”We managed to reach an agreement where we all came out winning.”
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