Father explains why Barcelona missed out on wonderkid – ‘I couldn’t do that to my son’

Barcelona missed out on teenage talent Jorthy Mokio this summer, as the 16-year-old defender decided to head to Ajax instead, despite the Blaugrana courting him from several months. Mokio was a free agent after securing an exit from a youth contract at KAA Gent.

An international for Belgium at under-17 level, Mokio had made a handful of senior appearances in Belgium this season, catching the eye of a number of Europe’s top clubs. Barcelona even invited him to Montjuic for the Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain, and at one stage were confident of a deal.

His father, Thierry Mokio, told Het Belang van Limburg, as quoted by Sport, that Barcelona’s pitch had initially convinced them.

“They told us that they were going to do like with Lamine Yamal or Cubarsí. We spoke with Deco, the sports director, and he told us that he would train with the first team.”

Yet after some time, Mokio senior decided that Barcelona’s talks over a deal with Porto for Mikayil Faye were evidence that it was not the place for him.

“The pressure at Barca is of another dimension. If it doesn’t work, you end up in Osasuna, for example, and you’re lost. It seemed like too big a step. It is true that there was a moment when we had decided to sign for Barca, but then we see that they want to sell a 19-year-old defender to Porto. It’s too much, I couldn’t do that to my son.”

Faye is yet to move on from Barcelona, and as things stand, is due to start the season with Barcelona’s first team, albeit several sources have confirmed talks with the Portuguese side. It looks as if Mamadou Mbacke will be the beneficiary, as he is set to be signed to occupy Mokio’s theoretical place at Barca Atletic.

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