24-year-old Barcelona star to join La Liga rivals in a bid to revitalise his career - Reports
Barcelona midfielder Alex Collado is readying himself for a move to Real Betis, where he could fill a void left by the impending exit of Sergio Canales. Reports have suggested a career rejuvenation is on the cards for the 24-year-old midfielder, who is set to leave Camp Nou this summer.
Canales' footsteps are already headed for the door at Betis, bringing an end to his five-year spell with the club. According to Sport (via Football Espana) the Spain international is on the cusp of a switch to Monterrey, the Mexican team that has been in hot pursuit over recent weeks.
The report has solidified these rumours into near facts, confirming an imminent deal between the parties. Whispers earlier this week indicated a €20 million offer being drafted by Monterrey, a sum that Betis seem to have given their nod to.
The loss of Canales will raise concerns, but Betis have already planned his replacement, with Alex Collado's signing being the next order of business. The young Catalan, with his future at Barcelona appearing rather cloudy, is likely to see his contract come to an early end, thus making his way to Seville.
Despite Collado's looming exit, Barca will retain a stake in his journey. As part of the proposed deal, Barcelona are poised to secure a 30% sell-on clause. With this setup, Collado will certainly be looking to bring his A-game to Betis, providing a spark of life to his career.
The 24-year-old midfielder managed a mere 15 La Liga appearances while on loan with Elche last season, before returning to Barca where he is deemed surplus to requirements.
Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong for Manchester City's Bernardo Silva in potential swap deal
Reports suggest that Barcelona are set to make an intriguing player swap offer to Manchester City. This is according to FootballTransfers (via SportsMole), who claim that the Bluagrana are ready to present Frenkie de Jong as a bargaining chip in their pursuit of Bernardo Silva.
It's an open secret that the Spaniards are desperately on the hunt for Silva this summer, with the club showing the determination to bring him on board. However, they are facing stiff competition from a host of Saudi Arabian clubs, who are also vying for the Portuguese midfielder's signature.
Despite the dire need for new blood, Barcelona's precarious financial situation is holding them back from making any splashy cash deals in the transfer market. So far, they've managed to bring Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez on board, but both players arrived on free transfers.
De Jong, for his part, has shown a steadfast commitment to stay with Barcelona, mirroring his stance from last summer, when he rebuffed interest from Manchester United. However, Manchester City, fresh from their treble-winning season, is exuding the confidence to potentially turn the Dutchman's head. After all, they currently hold the undisputed title of Europe's best club side.
The Dutch international was a key figure for Barcelona last season, marking his importance with 43 appearances across competitions. He managed to find the back of the net twice and provided four assists, proving to be a significant asset to the team.