The father of Barcelona whizkid Ilaix Moriba has revealed how he blocked a move to Manchester City for his son.
The precocious 18-year-old's youth contract was set to expire in January 2019, with Manchester City and Juventus eager to sign him, before he eventually renewed terms with the Catalan giants.
Mamady Kourouma told Sport: "With Barca, the negotiations (over his first professional contract) did not advance. We met with Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City 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 we had to go there. I wanted Ilaix to be an example and a reference for the next generations of Barca.
"His friends were gone. If he stayed, it was proof that Barca was betting on the youth players. We managed to reach an agreement where we all came out winning."
