Barcelona announce first piece of summer business as €6m move confirmed | OneFootball

Barcelona will not be overly busy this summer, especially in terms of signings, but there will still be a number of deals explored by the club’s sporting department. And the first of those has now been finalised.

The first of two transfer windows opened on Sunday, and three days in, Barcelona have completed their first sale of the summer. And it is one that has been expected for a few weeks.

Barcelona confirm departure of defender Alex Valle

Alex Valle joined Serie A side Como in January after struggling to command a regular starting place at Celtic, where he was on loan during the first half of the 2024-25 season. He impressed in Italy, and as such, the optional buy clause that was included in the agreement has now been activated, as confirmed by Barcelona in an official statement.

“Como 1907 have exercised the buy out clause for Alex Valle and as such the player is no longer tied to FC Barcelona. The cost of the operation is €6m. The Club wishes the player all the best for the future both on and off the field.”

Image via Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

It was previously reported that Valle would have had chances to remain in the Barcelona first team had Como decided not to buy him, but whether that would have been true or not is irrelevant now. He will continue his career in Italy from next season onwards, and the Catalans will move forward with Alejandro Balde and Gerard Martin as their left-back options.

The money raised from Valle’s sale will certainly help Barcelona in their efforts to improve the club’s financial situation. There is likely to be more players on the move over the coming weeks, with the likes of Ansu Fati, Clement Lenglet and Pablo Torre having all been linked with departures.