'I regret leaving Barcelona' - Former wonderkid acknowledges making mistake as career took a hit after Camp Nou exit

Former Barcelona wonderkid Ilaix Moriba has expressed his regret over the decision to leave the Catalans and seek pastures new, admitting that he committed a mistake by leaving the club. Moriba rose through the ranks at La Masia and broke into the first team at the age of 17 as he was seen at a huge talent with a big future at the Camp Nou.

Moriba has found a new home at Celta Vigo this season, where he is one of the first names on the team sheet. However, for a player as talented as him, he has experienced quite a lot of ups and down.

After making his breakthrough at Barcelona under Ronald Koeman in the 2020-21 season, Moriba moved to RB Leipzig in the summer of 2021 following a contract stand-off. However, his time at Leipzig was short-lived, making just six appearances before being loaned out to Valencia for a year and a half.

Then, he moved to Getafe in January 2024 on loan for half a season, having made zero appearances for Leipzig after coming back from Valencia.

“I made a mistake leaving Barca. I was very young and had a lot of pressure,” Moriba admitted (h/t SPORT). “For a moment I thought it was all over. Luckily now I'm happy at Celta.”

Celta Vigo find themselves in 14th place on the table, six points above the drop zone. Moriba will be key to Vigo's chances of avoiding relegation, with just 14 games left in the season.