Jordi Alba has stated that he wants to stay at Barcelona even though no new contract has been spoken out.
The 29-year-old has just 18 months left on his current deal but hopes that he and the club can extend that sooner rather than later.
Is Jordi Alba worth keeping at Barcelona? Five things to know…
- Since arriving at Barca in 2012, Alba has become one of the first names on the teamsheet, playing over 250 games at left-back
- His current deal has a €150m release clause and expires in June 2020.
- Manchester United and Juventus are understood to be interested in Alba’s services
- Alba has continued to be a key player this season, playing in every La Liga game so far this term.
- The Spaniard has been vocal about his contract situation already this season.
Although there may be silence from Barcelona on the issue, Alba has chosen to speak openly about the situation.
Speaking after Barca’s 3-0 win over Eibar, he said: “The situation remains the same, but I do not know where the club stands.
“I do not know if they want to renew my deal or not, I have not heard anything more and that is a situation I cannot control.
“I am focusing on my situation, I want to stay and I think I have been playing well, but that is all I can say.”
With Alba being such an instrumental part of this Barcelona side, it would seem strange for him not to have had any contact from the club about a new deal.
This importance was made clear across Europe earlier this season with his performances in the Champions League.
Especially as this week, he was named the best male Catalan sportsman of the year.
This came after the role he played in Barcelona’s double-winning campaign last season; a year when him bombing down the left saw him assist eight goals from left-back.
However, Alba’s impact on this team hasn’t just been important last year, but arguably since he arrived at the Nou Camp in 2012.
Replacing an ageing Eric Abidal, Alba gave them pace and directness similar to what Dani Alves did on the right-hand side.
Who could replace Jordi Alba?
Although Jordi Alba is still an integral part of this Barcelona side, there is no escaping the fact that he too is ageing. At 29-years-old, if he is given a new deal, it is likely to be his last at the club.
Knowing how Barcelona often like to bring academy prospects back to the club after shining elsewhere, as they did with Alba, this could be a possibility when replacing him.
Currently, they haven’t been linked with a replacement but one name that may be considered is Alex Grimaldo.
The Benfica left-back was brought through La Masia before moving to the Portuguese giants in 2016.
Since then, Grimaldo has become their first choice left back and boasts similar numbers to Alba, with two goals and four assists this season.
Already beating his league tally for last season, he’s showing real promise and now at 23-years-old, he could be ready to make his way back to Barcelona in the near future.
The post Jordi Alba: I want to stay despite Barcelona silent treatment appeared first on Squawka News.
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