Celta Vigo are keeping Ilaix Moriba through the current transfer window, with the midfielder still firmly involved in Claudio Giráldez’s first-team plans. Late interest has arrived from several clubs, but Celta are keeping their midfield options together with little time left to bring in a replacement.
- Moriba played the full 90 minutes in Celta’s 0-0 La Liga draw away to Real Sociedad on 3 September.
- Celta are keeping him this window despite interest from Beşiktaş, Ajax and Bayer Leverkusen.
- The club value continuity in Giráldez’s squad over a late exit for the 23-year-old.
Ilaix Moriba’s Current Situation
Ilaix Moriba remains an active Celta Vigo player, and his recent involvement underlines why the club are keeping him now. The midfielder completed 90 minutes in the 0-0 draw at Real Sociedad on 3 September, a fresh sign that he is very much part of the senior picture rather than a player being pushed towards the exit.
Moriba’s role has not been a minor one, either. He made 36 La Liga appearances in 2025, including 26 starts, which gives Celta a clear reason to protect that depth late in the window. Celta see him as important to Claudio Giráldez’s plans under the current circumstances, and with most major European markets already shut, a departure at this stage would leave little room to bring in a proper replacement.
Interest From Beşiktaş, Ajax and Bayer Leverkusen
Interest in Moriba has clearly been there, but none of it has shifted Celta’s stance. Beşiktaş made late contact over the midfielder but did not get the green light, while Celta also turned down loan-based approaches from Ajax and Bayer Leverkusen.
Ajax’s proposal was a paid loan with an option to acquire 50 per cent of Moriba’s rights, while Bayer Leverkusen explored a loan with an obligation to buy. Those different structures show this was not simply a case of one enquiry arriving too late.
Celta Vigo’s Plans and Moriba’s Future Value
Celta’s position is strengthened by the fact that Moriba’s deal runs until mid-2029 if the current contract details are correct, giving the club room to think beyond the final days of this window. They also bought him outright from RB Leipzig for €6 million in 2025 after activating a purchase option, so there is no obvious pressure to cash in immediately.
Any figure around €20 million should be viewed only as an asking-price level linked to Leverkusen’s pursuit, or as a possible future-sale reference, rather than a confirmed bid on the table this window. Barcelona no longer hold a percentage of a future Moriba sale either, which would leave Celta in line to benefit fully if they choose to revisit the situation in a later window.
