Barca agree to sign Alba from Valencia
Reuters - Thursday 28 June 2012, 12:21
Barcelona have strengthened
their defence and found a replacement for Eric Abidal by sealing
an agreement with Valencia to sign Spain full-back Jordi Alba on
a five-year contract, the La Liga club said on Thursday.
The deal is worth 14 million euros and is
subject to the 23-year-old left-back, a Barca youth academy
graduate who is representing Spain at Euro 2012, passing a
medical, the club said on their official Twitter feed.
Barca were in the market for a left-sided fullback after
Abidal had a liver transplant earlier this year and it remains
uncertain whether the France international will be able to make
a return to action.
After some impressive displays for Valencia, the pacy Alba
made his debut for Spain against Scotland in Alicante in October
and has since made the left back position vacated by Joan
Capdevila his own earning 10 caps.
Born in the same Catalan town as Barca keeper Victor Valdes,
he started out in the club's youth ranks but was released and
joined regional league side UE Cornella before Valencia snapped
him up at the age of 17 for a bargain 6,000 euros.
Roving down the wing, Alba uses his explosive pace to surge
past his markers and deliver inviting crosses and he has been a
big threat to Spain's opponents at the finals in Poland and
Ukraine as they bid to retain their continental title.
He helped serve up one of the moments of the tournament in
the 2-0 quarter-final win against France when he burst into
space and sent over a perfect cross for Xabi Alonso to head home
Spain's opening goal.