FC Barcelona Confirms New Player Transfer

FC Barcelona confirmed the transfer of one of its players to his third different club this season through a statement sent to members of the press on Friday afternoon in Catalonia.

“FC Barcelona and Como 1907 have reached an agreement for the loan of player Alex Valle until June 30, 2025,” the correspondence read.

“There is no purchase option,” it then added to conclude, though as transfer market expert Fabrizio Romao explained earlier this week, Valle will be available to any interested club, and not just Como, for $6.2 million (€6 million) at the end of the season because of a clause in his Barca contract which last summer was renewed until mid-2026.

In any case, it was expected that Valle would switch allegiances mid-season before the close of the winter transfer market at the turn of next week after Mundo Deportivo reported he’d agreed to join Como, whose first team is currently managed by former La Masia pupil and Barca star Cesc Fabregas.

Friday’s development puts an end to a temporary spell at Celtic for Valle, which means he won’t play any part in the Glasgow giant’s upcoming, two-legged Champions League playoff against Bayern Munich in February.

Valle did earn vital experience in Europe’s elite club competition, however, and played in all but one of Celtic’s eight league phase matches.

He earned 90 minutes in a 0-0 draw against Europa League holder Atalanta – who parent club Barca also drew 2-2 against on Wednesday – and might now face Gian Piero Gasperini’s men once more in Italy on Fabregas’ orders.

After previously lingering closer to the relegation zone, Como is currently 13th in the Serie A but just two points from safety heading into the business end of the 2024/2025 campaign.

Helping Como avoid the drop and continuing to earn minutes will be Valle’s main concern, ahead of presumably wishing to head back to Barca and work his way into head coach Hansi Flick’s plans.

He could again be taken on the Blaugrana’s preseason tour, where he impressed against Real Madrid in New Jersey as Pau Victor claimed the MVP award in an August friendly victory.