It looks like a good Barcelona academy prospect may be set for a permanent move away from Camp Nou as his loan club is ready to activate the €6 million release clause.
The 20-year-old has been impressive during his time in Italy.
The young defender’s development led his Serie A employers to secure his services permanently, with interest from other European clubs, including Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.
Barcelona had reportedly been thinking about including him in their first-team plans for next season, but the Italian club’s ambition to trigger his release clause in June now makes that unlikely, especially given he has become a first-team player for them as he has featured in 11 league matches since January.
His performances have solidified his place, as he is expected to be closely involved in a long-term plan.
The player we are speaking of here is Alex Valle, another La Masia prospect who has excelled on loan at Como, having previously been on loan to Celtic, where he made a name for himself with his willingness to make attacking runs and a good ability to defend in multiple areas of the pitch.
There is no doubt that Valle has got serious talent, which was recognized while he played in Scotland, and has adjusted to Serie A easily.
Barcelona inserted a €6 million clause to be protected, but Valle’s rapid development could see him leave a promising full-back out of the club for a relatively nominal fee, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Dortmund expressed interest, but the work Como made in getting to a long-term deal with Valle does good for them good.
Valle, meanwhile, might see playing regular time in a competitive league as worth much more than being a backup again at FC Barcelona.
The move is another business decision for Barcelona, who will be weighing sporting decisions with financial ones.
If the deal goes through, it will be the latest La Masia export to do well abroad – although the Blaugrana might yet negotiate a buy-back clause to maintain some influence.
For now, because of Fabregas, Valle is destined for Italy and key part of Como’s future projects.
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