According to El Nacional, Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba is in talks to join Atletico Madrid. The Spaniard has been a mainstay on Barcelona’s left flank since returning to Camp Nou in 2012 but has recently fallen down the pecking order as manager Xavi Hernandez has preferred 18-year-old Alejandro Balde and newly-signed Marcos Alonso over him.
He has only made four appearances for the Blaugrana this season. However, the 33-year-old was named to Spain’s starting lineup for their UEFA Nations League match against Switzerland last weekend. Despite the fact that La Roja lost the match 2-1, the left-back scored with a perfectly placed shot.
In August, the former Valencia has been the subject of interest from Serie A giants Inter Milan. As per COPE, the Nerazzurri reached an agreement with Barcelona for a loan deal in which the Nerazzurri would have paid 40 per cent of his wage.
However, Alba had no intention of agreeing to that deal. The player was taken aback when he learned of the agreement, as he had never considered leaving this summer.
Alba, a product of Barcelona’s renowned La Masia youth system, left the club’s academy in 2005 to join Valencia, where he rose through the ranks to become a first-team regular before returning to Catalunya in the summer of 2012. Since returning to Barca, he has been the undisputed starter at left-back, firmly establishing himself as one of the best in the position over the last ten years.
Alba has made a total of 433 appearances for Barcelona and has won numerous titles and trophies. Despite a slight dip in his performances in the late twenty-tens, the Spaniard rediscovered his best during the 2020/21 season, producing a brilliant tally of five goals and fifteen assists from 49 appearances across all competitions.
Barcelona next play Mallorca away on October 2 before travelling to take on Internazionale in their Champions League group game on October 5.
