Barcelona closely monitoring Moroccan winger who idolises Lionel Messi and Neymar with one eye on potential transfer: Reports

Barcelona are reportedly monitoring Moroccan winger Eliesse Ben Seghir who idolizes Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. The 19-year-old has been impressive for AS Monaco this season, contributing seven goals and four assists in 23 appearances across competitions.

For the last few seasons, Barcelona have focused on signing young talent who have shown great potential instead of established stars. The club's difficult financial situation has led them to focus on strengthening their La Masia academy talent following the success of Pedri and Ronald Araujo.

According to GOAL (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Eliesse Ben Seghir is one such talent on Barcelona's radar. The Moroccan forward is a rising star in AS Monaco's squad and also featured in La Blaugrana's 2-1 loss to the French side in their UEFA Champions League opening game. The youngster is valued at €30 million, as per Transfermarkt with his current contract running until June 2027.

Moreover, Seghir has previously gone on record to express his admiration for former Blaugrana legends Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. Seghir said to French magazine Onze Mondial (via Barca Universal):

"Neymar is my role model. I love his freedom and his style of play. All young players look up to him. And of course, there is Messi, whose ability to beat an entire team is incredible."

The Catalans have been hunting the market for a left winger for a while now - a position they've failed to reinforce well since Neymar's departure. Eliesse Ben Seghir could be an affordable alternative to strengthen their attack compared to more expensive options such as Nico Williams and Rafael Leao.

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Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr's partnership at Barcelona explored

FC Barcelona v RC Celta de Vigo - La Liga - Source: Getty

Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr. played together at Barcelona between 2013 and 2017 before the Brazilian's move to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for a record €222 million transfer fee. The duo played 161 games together for La Blaugrana, recording 56 joint-goal participations.

Alongside Luis Suarez, the two formed one of the most lethal attacking trios of all time, popularly known as MSN (Messi, Suarez, Neymar). They were notably a part of Barca's iconic 2014-15 treble-winning squad under Luis Enrique's guidance.

The duo has won nine titles together for Barca, including one UEFA Champions League, two LaLigas, and three Copas del Rey. In 2015 and 2017, the Brazilian superstar stood third in the Ballon d'Or rankings alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In 2021, Lionel Messi left Barca to join PSG where he was reunited with his former teammate. The two made 11 joint-goal contributions in 45 games for PSG between 2021 and 2023.

Messi's partnership with the Brazil international on the pitch has often worked well for both Barcelona and later Paris Saint-Germain. While the Brazilian is considered among the best left-wingers of all time, Messi's exceptional flair on the right led them to perfectly complement each other. Moreover, the two share a well-known friendship off the pitch.