Right back has been a problem area for Barcelona over the last few years. Ever since Dani Alves left – for the first time – back in 2016, the club have been unable to properly replace him, despite having recruited several players in the intervening years.
One of those was Moussa Wague, who was hotly tipped as being a vital player for the future. Barcelona signed him from Belgian club Eupen for €5m back in 2018, following impressive displays at the World Cup, which saw him become the youngest African scorer in the tournament’s history.
However, Wague’s potential was not delivered upon. He played only a handful of games for the first team, before being sent on loan to Nice in January 2020. Another loan spell at Greek side PAOK following that summer, where he suffered a serious knee injury.
Barcelona released Wague last summer, and he was picked up by HNK Gorica, although he was later released in December. The Senegalese international has now joined Anorthosis Famagusta, as he looks to get his career back on track.
Barcelona have certainly had success in signing young players over the last few years, but it’s safe to say that Wague was a failure. They will hope to avoid similar cases in the future.