Barcelona will reportedly prioritise signing 26-year-old Spanish international Jose Gaya from Valencia in the summer transfer window.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Jose Gaya has become a priority target for Barcelona heading into the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants are closely monitoring the 26-year-old Spanish international’s contract renewal talks with Valencia.
Jose Gaya is widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in Europe, having made considerable progress since making his first-team debut for Valencia in 2012. A decade on from his breakthrough season, the Spaniard is now the club captain and a pivotal figure for the La Liga outfit.
To date, the 26-year-old has made 280 appearances for Valencia, chipping in with eight goals and 34 assists in the process. But the Spanish international has been in long-drawn contract talks with Los Che, but a renewal has not been finalised yet. Such a situation has captured the attention of Barcelona.
The interest from Barcelona in Gaya comes in the wake of Jordi Alba’s waning form. The Spanish international’s performance levels have dipped at an alarming rate in the last few years, prompting Barcelona to consider starting phasing him out as a regular.
But with Alejandro Balde making slow progress since being promoted to the first-team squad at the onset of the ongoing season, Barcelona will need to enter the market for a left-back in the summer. The Blaugrana had been keen on signing a left-back in the January transfer window, with Nicolas Tagliafico their priority target.
But a move for the Argentine international did not materialise, with Barcelona calling off the pursuit ahead of deadline day. Tagliafico could be an option for the summer transfer window, but it appears Gaya will be Barcelona’s priority target, with recent reports even claiming that the Spanish international is keen on joining the Catalan giants.
If a move for the 26-year-old does not materialise, Barcelona will likely have a contingency plan in place, with Alejandro Grimaldo one of the backup options. For now, it looks like a move for Gaya will be prioritised, with Barcelona keenly following his contract renewal talks with Valencia.
