Barcelona star refuses to leave Camp Nou and wants to fight for his place despite club finding agreement over transfer: Reports
Barcelona defender Jordi Alba is refusing to leave the club and wants to fight for his place in the side, as per AS.
The veteran left-back has been displaced by teenager Alex Balde in Xavi Hernandez's XI in Barca's opening four fixtures of the season.
Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso is also set to arrive at the Nou Camp only further jeopardizing Alba's place in Barca's side.
Barcelona had reached an agreement with Inter Milan for Alba to join the Serie A giants on loan for the season.
Inter would pay 60% of the defender's wages, with the Blaugrana paying the other 40%.
However, the Spaniard's reluctance to depart has ended any chances of that move and the player is not bothersome about Alonso's arrival either.
A meeting between Alba and Xavi was reportedly arranged to thrash out the defender's future with the latter trying to entice the left-back to leave.
That meeting has been called off with Xavi aware that he will not be able to change Alba's mind.
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It leaves Barca likely with three left-backs for the 2021-22 season, Alba, Balde and Alonso.
Alba made 44 appearances last season in all competitions, scoring three goals and contributing 13 assists.
He joined Barca from Valencia back in 2012 for £12.6 million and has been a mainstay in the side ever since.
The Spaniard is contracted to the La Liga giants for two more years.
Barcelona's Alba not following in Dani Alves' footsteps
Another Barcelona legend who left the club this summer was Alves and he did so in bittersweet circumstances.
The Brazilian had spent eight years at Barca from the year 2008 until 2016.
He made a surprise return last November, but his reunion would be short lived as he was released by the club in June.
Alves joined UNAM Puma and he has hit out at the Blaugrana for the way in which he departed.
He said (via Football-Espana):
“I am eternally grateful to Barcelona but not for how they handled the ‘non-renewal’ talks."
Having become Barca's most successful ever player, many felt the club's treatment of the Brazilian was unfair.
Alba may have similar aggreivances with the way in the Catalan giants are looking to secure an exit for such a long-serving player.
The Spaniard has won the UEFA Champions League, five La Liga titles and five Copa del Rey trophies during his time at the Nou Camp.