According to reports, Chelsea and Manchester are interested in signing Barcelona defender Jordi Alba this summer.
Alba, 29, has enjoyed a phenomenal season with Barcelona as Ernesto Valverde’s side completed a domestic double. The left-back starred for the Catalan giants, supplying 11 assists in all competitions. Alba’s performances this season have not gone unnoticed, with Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Manchester considering signing him.
Alba, a regular at Barcelona, is regarded as one of the best modern-day full-backs. The Spaniard is an attacking left-back but is a player also capable of performing his defensive duties with ease.
While the 29-year-old might want to spend his entire career at Barcelona, failure of the club to provide an improved contract might change the player’s mind.
The defender’s current deal expires in 2020 but he has yet to be offered an extension. Chelsea and Manchester United remain poised to make their move now.
Luke Shaw remains out of favour under Mourinho, while Daley Blind and Matteo Darmian did not perform well this season.
This has forced Mourinho to play Ashley Young out of position, at left-back and to everyone’s surprise, the England international has done admirably well. But going into next season, Mourinho cannot rely on Young to continue at left-back, which clearly suggests that an upgrade is needed.
In contrast to United, Chelsea doesn’t need a left-back due to the presence of the reliable Marcos Alonso and January signing from AS Roma, Emerson Palmieri. But looking at their dismal season, they clearly need an overhaul of the squad.
Despite winning the FA Cup, Antonio Conte looks set to leave the club after failing to qualify for Champions League. Maurizio Sarri is the reported candidate to replace Conte and the former Napoli boss could be granted substantial funds to rebuild the squad according to his wish and needs.
While Alonso and Palmieri are decent, Sarri would love to have an attacking full-back in his ranks. Barcelona’s Alba falls into that category as the Spaniard operates with a lot of pace and intensity. Fast, agile and inventive, Alba loves to maraud forward and make those traditional overlapping runs. In every sense, the Barcelona star will fit very well into Sarri’s style of play at Chelsea.
Manchester United don’t have a natural full-back, which makes it a priority for them to sign one in the summer. Chelsea have the likes of Alonso and Emerson but Alba would clearly be an upgrade to the pair.
While United’s need for a full-back is much more than that of Chelsea, the Blues must do their level best to capture the signing of Alba, who is currently playing at the peak of his powers. Surely, he would be a top signing for the new manager.
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