Yahoo Sports Reason why 16-year-old wonderkid snubbed Barcelona for Ajax revealed
Young Belgian defensive talent Jorthy Mokio was reportedly very close to signing for Barcelona last month.
The 16-year-old centre-back, known for his exceptional physical presence and technical skills, was highly valued by the Catalan club and was seen as one for the long haul.
Mokio’s potential had attracted attention from several top European clubs, but Barcelona were seemingly in pole position to secure his signature.
In the final stages of negotiations, however, Ajax stole the deal from Barcelona and snapped up the player’s services in a surprising development.
The Dutch giants, renowned for their exceptional youth academy and development program, managed to convince Mokio and his family that Amsterdam would be the ideal destination for the next stage of his career.
Reports at the time claimed that the youngster’s decision to sign for the Dutch giants over the Catalans was Barcelona’s failure to reach a financial agreement that suited the player but that does not appear to be the case if recent updates are to be believed.
Mokio’s father clears the air
Speaking to the media earlier today, Mokio’s father explained that the reason behind his son’s decision to join Ajax was beyond the financial factor, especially considering that Barcelona had high hopes from the player.
“They told us that they were going to do as with Lamine Yamal or Cubarsí. We talked to Deco, the sports director, and he told us that he would train with the first team,” he began as revealed by SPORT, admitting that the Catalans had big plans for Mokio.
When asked to elaborate on the decision to snub Barcelona despite the club’s keen interest, he said,
“The pressure in Barça is from another dimension. If it doesn’t work, you end up in Osasuna, for example, and you’re lost. It seemed too big a step to me.”
“It is true that there was a moment that we had decided to sign for Barça, but then we see that they want to sell a 19-year-old defender in Porto. It’s too much, I couldn’t do that to my son,” he added.
