“Always said that I would like to return, but Barcelona has had no interest” - Ex-Barca star says club is disinterested in bringing him back
Bayer Leverkusen star Alejandro Grimaldo has revealed that he wanted to return to Camp Nou but Barcelona were not interested in signing him.
The Spanish defender joined Bundesliga side, Bayer Leverkusen earlier this summer on a free transfer from Benfica, where he spent seven years. He made 303 appearances for the Eagles and recorded 27 goals and 66 assists.
Before he signed a deal with Benfica in 2016, he used to play for Barcelona B, where he made 92 appearances and recorded six goals and 12 assists. Alejandro Grimaldo was also a part of the under-19 and under-16 teams of the Bluagrana. He also wanted to play the main team of Barcelona but that didn't work out.
The 28-year-old has stated he would have returned to Camp Nou earlier this summer but the La Liga Giants were not interested in signing him. Grimaldo also recalled his time in the youth team of the Bluagrana. He said via Jijantes FC:
"I have always said that Barça was a club to which I could return... that is, I would like to return because it is Barça. In the end I grew up there as a player and I was very happy to have been in their academy. But the truth is that Barça did not show interest in me."
He also stated that the La Liga giants were focusing on the two left-back options they have, Alejandro Balde and Marcos Alonso. Balde has a contract with Barcelona until 2028 while Alonso's agreement is set to expire next summer. Grimaldo added:
"They stayed focused on the two full-backs they already had and did not evaluate other options. In the end, we knew that there was a fixed full-back in my position."
The Spanish defender is enjoying a great time at BayArena under Xabi Alonso. In 15 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen, he has scored seven goals and has provided five assists. Moreover, Leverkusen are also at the top of the Bundesliga table with 28 points.
Barcelona star is unhappy with recent performances following loan move
According to SPORT, Barcelona's on-loan forward Joao Felix is unhappy with his recent performances for the Camp Nou outfit. The Portuguese attacker joined Bluagrana from Diego Someone's Atletico Madrid on loan in a deadline-day transfer deal.
After a failed loan spell at Stamford Bridge, he joined Xavi Hernandez's side in a stellar fashion, scoring three goals in three matches. However, since then, the former Benfica forward has been silent. In 12 appearances, he has recorded three goals and four assists.
During Barcelona's last La Liga fixture against Real Sociedad, Felix started the match alongside Robert Lewandowski. However, he failed to make an impact and was substituted in the second half (71').