Barcelona manager Hansi Flick was keen to retain loanee who is impressing abroad – report

Barcelona did not have too many options when Hansi Flick went to rotate his squad against Osasuna at the weekend. One of the options he would have liked to have is Alex Valle, who is currently on loan at Celtic.

The 20-year-old left-back returned from Levante where he spent last season on loan, and was on Barcelona’s preseason tour in the summer, and impressed being used on the right side of defence. Sport say that Flick was in fact keen to keep Valle this season, amid doubts about young right-back Hector Fort, but could not guarantee him what kind of role he would have.

Official: Frenkie de Jong has received the medical green light. @FCBarcelona pic.twitter.com/7HwBTOvHYs

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) October 1, 2024

Valle on the other hand wanted to play, and was keen to get minutes under his belt this season. Celtic offered him Champions League football, and covered all of his salary. Flick could not guarantee Valle playing time, but did like him as an alternative for Jules Kounde at right-back, and competition for Gerard Martin at left-back.

Seeing that Alejandro Balde and Kounde were the clear starters though, Valle decided to seek out minutes elsewhere, with a right-back role not too appealing for him either.

Álex Valle ‍ pic.twitter.com/7arjTPYR4c

— Toni Juanmartí (@tjuanmarti) September 29, 2024

Valle is still adapting to life in Glasgow, but has notched two assists in his two appearances so far under Brendan Rodgers, amounting to a total of just 106 minutes. Valle has Scotland international Greg Taylor for competition, but Celtic will have no shortage of games, with four domestic competitions and the extended Champions League to come.

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