Barcelona have reportedly entered negotiations to sign Real Sociedad starlet Alvaro Odriozola, who is also a target for rivals Real Madrid.
Barcelona have opened talks with fellow La Liga outfit Real Socieded over the possibility of signing full-back Alvaro Odriozola in the summer, as per reports from Spanish outlet Don Balon. The defender is also a transfer target for Barca’s bitter rivals Real Madrid.
The 22-year old Odriozola has been heralded as one of the finest young right-backs in La Liga owing to his displays for Sociedad this season. He has appeared 37 times across all competitions, scoring a solitary goal and registering 4 assists in the process.
Known for his blistering pace and ability to hit in inch-perfect crosses from out wide, Odriozola made his debut for the Spain national team last October and has made two appearances for La Roja till date.
Barcelona spent heavily in the summer on signing a right-back, when they brought in Nelson Semedo from Benfica for a fee of €30 million. However, the Portuguese has failed to make an immediate impact and has struggled to wrestle away the starting spot from makeshift right-back Sergi Roberto.
While the Catalans still see Semedo as a sound investment, they are also understood to believe that the opportunity to sign Odriozola is too good a chance to let go, given the potential that he has shown this season.
Real Madrid too are intent on signing the Spanish international, given that they don’t have much depth in the right-back position currently. Having sold Danilo to Manchester City last summer, Los Blancos did not replace the Brazilian, which left them with Dani Carvajal as the only senior right-back while academy graduate Achraf Hakimi has deputized for him when needed.
However, with Hakimi’s contract running out at the end of the season, the club’s need to reinforce the position heading into the next season is very much imperative.
Odriozola has a contract with Sociedad that runs till the summer of 2022 which puts La Real in a strong negotiating position. It has previously been reported that the contract contains a release clause of €40 million and both Barca and Madrid will have to meet that valuation if they want to sign the 22-year old.
Odriozola has shown great potential and is clearly destined for bigger things. Both Barcelona and Real Madrid have shown strong interest in the player, but it remains to be seen where he ends up joining in the summer. One thing seems certain though, Odriozola will be getting his big money move before the next season starts.
