Barcelona are looking to steal a march on Manchester City in the race for a 15-year-old Mexican wonderkid, after extending an invitation for him to train at La Masia, their famous academy.
Gilberto Mora, 15, has already made waves within Mexican football with Club Tijuana, becoming the youngest player in their history to play and score a goal, alerting Barcelona.
CaughtOffside are reporting that the likes of AC Milan, FC Porto and Paris Saint-Germain are keeping tabs on Mora, while Crystal Palace and Tottenham could also provide Premier League competition for Pep Guardiola’s side.
City had been at the front of the queue for Mora’s services but Barca will hope to leapfrog them with the offer of training where legendary players like Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez honed their skills.
There is also a history of Mexican progression through the youth ranks at Barcelona, with Giovani and Jonathan Dos Santos both graduating before making their names elsewhere.
Due to his age, Mora’s family will need to grant permission for him to visit La Masia, according to FIFA rules, and they will not be able to sign him.
Mora is also unable to sign for anyone until he turns 18, which will not be until January 2027.
Mora to follow Barca legacy?
All of the clubs currently chasing Mora have a strong reputation for developing young players but the history at Barcelona could give them an advantage.
Financial issues have also seen them turn back to focussing on youth development after a number of years where they spent heavily on established players like Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann.
The likes of Gavi and Pedri are modern day examples of the progression, but Mora could perhaps take most inspiration from Lamine Yamal.
The Spain winger only turned 17 in the summer as he inspired his country to European Championship glory in Germany, and he is already a mainstay at Barcelona, scoring his first Champions League goal this week.
Mora as played four games for Tijuana, scoring once, and has already scored twice in four matches for the Mexico under-17s side, having progressed from the under-15s, with whom he played 16 matches, scoring nine goals, at the age of 13.
Yamal bid rejected
Yamal’s agent has recently disclosed a bid made for the teenager from PSG, in the region of €250m, which would have been a world record
The offer was swiftly rejected, but Barcelona may need to look into his contract situation, with his current deal running out in 2026. If he doesn’t agree to new terms soon, they could be vulnerable to losing him in the future.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have no plans to sell defender Gabriel amid reported interest from Barcelona and PSG, with a new contract also said to be on the horizon.
Gilberto Mora factfile
- Born: October 14, 2008 (aged 15)
- Named after his father, also Gilberto Mora, who played 186 games for several top Mexican sides
- Made senior debut for Tijuana in a 3–1 win over Santos Laguna on August 19.
- Is the youngest-ever goalscorer in the Mexican top flight, scoring in 2-1 win over Leon on August 31
- Capped by Mexico Under-15s (nine goals in 16 games) Under-16s (one goal in three games) and Under-17s (two goals in four games)
- Scouted by a series of top European sides, including Barcelona, PSG, AC Milan and FC Porto
- Plays predominantly as a central midfielder but can also operate in a more advanced No 10
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