Jordi Alba and FC Barcelona have announced this Wednesday that the full-back will not continue at the Barça club next season despite having a contract until 2024. Alba, 34, will continue his career away from Barça, where he has remained for 11 seasons since his debut on August 19, 2012. Alba’s farewell will coincide with that of captain Sergi Busquets next Sunday in the match that Barcelona will play against Mallorca at the Camp Nou. It will also be the last match played at the Barça stadium before moving to Montjuïc next season for the works on the Espai Barça.
The departure of Alba, who recently held a meeting with the Barcelona president Joan Laporta, will improve the salary mass of the Barça club, as required by the League. The challenge is to get around 420 million in order to help the registration of Araujo and Gavi, as well as the renewal of Balde. The economic impact of the loss of the left back is estimated at around 30 million euros. The salary, as well as his substitute status after the consolidation of Balde, have favored the departure of the player from L’Hospitalet.
❗️ FC Barcelona and @Jordi Alba have reached an agreement to terminate the contract that the player had with the Club until the end of the 2023/24 season
– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) May 24, 2023
Alba has lost prominence on the field – he has only started 13 games this season – and also in the dressing room despite being part of the Barcelona captains team. The player has lined up in 458 games and scored 27 goals with Barça. He has won six Leagues, one Champions League, one Club World Cup and five Copas del Rey. Alba could continue his career in Saudi Arabia and it is not even ruled out that he could sign for the same club as Busquets and Messi. Busquets has already announced his departure from Barça, while the club intends to recover the Argentine from PSG.
Alba’s goodbye will take place the same season as that of Busquets and also of Piqué. The three were part of the strong core of the Camp Nou dressing room.
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