Barcelona’s top young talent available for a bargain €3 million from today

After days of speculation and swirling rumours, there has been a significant development regarding Barcelona defender Alex Valle. His release clause, which had been set at €8 million, has now been reduced to just €3 million. 

This change comes at a crucial time as Barça are yet to take action to renew his contract, despite having the option to do so.

Valle, who is back with Barcelona after spending last season on loan at Levante, currently has a contract that runs until 2025. This contract includes an automatic renewal clause that was set to expire on August 1.

Under this clause, Barcelona had the opportunity to extend his contract, increase his salary, and raise his release clause to €30 million. 

However, they have not yet exercised this option and the club has not communicated any intention to do so to the player.

What does it mean for Valle?

Barcelona have not activated the automatic extension of Alex Valle. (Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)

As a result, Valle remains on a salary that reflects his position in the reserve team. With the release clause now reduced to €3 million, it puts the club in a difficult position. 

However, despite this, he has expressed no desire to leave Barcelona and has not considered any offers from other teams. The club has not received any proposals for his transfer either.

Meanwhile, Barcelona’s head coach, Hansi Flick, is keen to see Valle play during the USA Tour matches to make a final decision about his future. 

If Flick decides not to include the full-back in his plans, the club would need to address the issue of his salary increase and the implications of his reduced release clause.

In the meantime, Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, was said to be working to resolve the situation. He was reportedly eager to finalise the contract renewal to avoid further complications. 

However, the current situation has become quite problematic for Barcelona, given the drastic reduction in Valle’s release clause. 

This development could potentially lead to challenges in retaining the young defender, who is expected to be an important asset for the team.