One of the areas of the squad that FC Barcelona will have to work on in the coming months is the left-back position. La Masia product Alejandro Balde is the clear starter for Xavi in this position, but the club would also need another player to cover for him.
Currently, Marcos Alonso is trusted with this role, and the Spaniard is Xavi’s player to replace Balde whenever the latter needs rest or misses a match due to suspension. However, Alonso’s contract runs out next year, and the Catalans will have to look for another player for this position.
Barcelona to bet on Valle for Balde’s cover
According to Mundo Deportivo, the technical department at Barcelona is looking to bet on another in-house asset for this role rather than going to the market. The player they have in mind is Alex Valle, who is currently on loan at Levante and is recovering from an injury.
Valle was a part of the team selected by Xavi for the USA pre-season tour, especially as Balde was not fit enough to play at that time. Valle got five minutes against AC Milan, but was an unused substitute in the Gamper Trophy match against Tottenham.
Valle at Levante
Afterwards, he was loaned out to Levante till June 2024 without a purchase option in his contract. Up to now, the left-back has made nine appearances with Levante in Segunda División, all of these as a starter, and has played all the minutes in seven of these starts.
It is not only Bojan Krkic who is keeping a close eye on his development at Levante, as Xavi himself is also keeping track of the growth of the youngster. Xavi is aware of how the player is evolving and will have a better idea of whether Valle is good enough for a role at Barcelona by the time his loan stint ends.
