Even with all their financial restraints, FC Barcelona will look to improve the squad this summer. Not every reinforcement will arrive in the form of a transfer for them, however. Instead, Barcelona will look to make use of a mixture of signings and returning loanees.
Fortunately for Barcelona, some very capable loanees are now returning to the club. Moreover, with the Catalan club specifically needing more reinforcements in the fullback area to improve their squad depth, it suits them rather well that a lot of the returning loanees are capable fullbacks.
One of them, Alex Valle, is a particularly interesting case. Aged just 20, the Spanish left-back is a player who arrives from his loan at Levante in high spirits, and he fills a very important role for Barcelona given that the club needs competition for Alejandro Balde.
Now, as highlighted by SPORT, even his former Barcelona Juvenil coach Oscar Lopez has a lot of praise for him and believes the club should count on him: “Alex Valle is a soldier, a top-notch defender… Barça should bring him back; he can interpret tactical situations very well.”
Moreover, the former Barcelona U-19-A coach even highlighted why the player’s profile is one that helps the club a lot:
“He excels at what we now ask of full-backs: playing inside and covering the flank… Above all, he is a defender. He defends excellently because he is strong, fast, and aggressive. He is also determined, sacrificial, and very good in aerial duels.”
Still a Blaugrana through and through, Oscar Lopez continued to speak passionately about the club and consistently complimented and praised Álex Valle. Discussing the Barcelona fullback’s attacking capabilities, Lopez said the following:
“He is also very good offensively and especially in linking up with teammates, making him a very complete player who should be taken seriously in professional football.”
Despite these great words of faith in the 20-year-old left-back, Valle will have to prove his case himself. During the upcoming pre-season tour, it is expected that he will get his opportunity to convince Barcelona first-team coach Hansi Flick on his own, and that will ultimately be the test that determines what his future at Barça will be.
