Barcelona shows interest in Celta Vigo’s Javi Galan

One of the players who seems to have been revitalized with the arrival of Xavi Hernandez is Jordi Alba. The left-back was a source of constant frustration for supporters but he is quietly having one of his best seasons in a while.

However, the 33-year-old is likely on his last legs, leaving the Catalan side in search of a decent back-up, if not a replacement.

According to Diario AS, the Barcelona boss’ preferred choice is Celta Vigo’s Javi Galan. The coaching staff see Galan as the ideal player to provide competition for Alba. The problem, as is always the case, is the transfer fee.

Galan has a contract with Celta Vigo until 2026 and has become an important part of manager Eduardo Coudet’s set-up. Given that, Celta are going to want a decent fee to let him go. Barcelona are going to try to lower any proposed fee by offering one of their own players in exchange.

Galan is the latest name linked with Barcelona, joining the likes of Ajax’s Nicolas Tagliafico, Betis’ Alex Moreno and Benfica’s Alex Grimaldo.

The club tried for Tagliafico during the winter transfer window but were unable to reach an agreement with Ajax.

For many, Grimaldo would be the perfect choice as he came up through La Masia and therefore would need very little time to get acclimated. But they are unwilling to pay the €10 million fee Benfica wants considering Grimaldo is out of contract next season.

The left-back position has been owned by Alba the last several years simply because there was no other alternative. Lucas Digne and Junior Firpo were brought in to provide competition but never earned the faith of the manager of the time.

Galan is 27 and would be a short-term solution for when Alba departs. The club still has high hopes for Alejandro Balde but realize that the 18-year-old has a way to go before he is deemed ready.