Barcelona coach Hansi Flick wanted to retain La Masia starlet before summer exit

Alex Valle was one of many La Masia stars who had impressed Barcelona manager Hansi Flick during the pre-season campaign.

Coming on the back of a loan spell at Levante, Valle performed brilliantly in a couple of friendly matches in the US tour, despite playing as a makeshift right-back, notably producing a solid assist for Pau Torres against Real Madrid.

Flick wanted to keep Valle

As reported by SPORT, it appears Flick’s desire was to keep hold of Alex Valle and make him a part of the first team this season.

The German rated the youngster quite highly due to the versatility he offered to the table, which was coupled with his impressive performances in the pre-season.

Flick even informed sporting director Deco of his desire to retain Valle’s services for the season ahead.

Valle, though, ended up opting for a loan spell at Celtic, where he could appear against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League this week.

Why did Valle not continue?

The report states that Valle himself was not drawn to the idea of continuing at Barcelona under the current circumstances.

The Spaniard knew Flick had chosen Gerard Martin as the definitive alternative for Alejandro Balde at left-back, while he was not too keen on serving as the backup for Jules Kounde at right-back.

Moreover, Valle wanted to gain more prominence at the highest level of football – something one would expect for a player of his age.

The opportunity to play in the Champions League with Celtic, therefore, was a no-brainer for Valle, who has already appeared in a couple of matches for the Scottish giants.

It will be interesting to see if Valle can make an impact under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic and return to Barcelona with more pedigree next season.