Barcelona’s 24-year-old academy graduate in advanced negotiations with La Liga rivals

Alex Collado was once considered the best talent of his generation at La Masia. The youngster was the captain of Barcelona’s B team, and many saw him as the heir to one of the spots in the first team.

However, things did not pan out as the youngster anticipated. In January 2022, he was sent on loan to Granada with Xavi Hernandez declaring the player out of his plans.

He returned to Catalonia the subsequent summer but found no sympathy at his former club. In August 2022, he moved on loan to Elche where he has played for the past year.

The youngster made 15 appearances and eight starts for the La Liga side last season, scoring one goal and providing one assist in the process. Further, he created three big chances and averaged 1.3 key passes per game.

Collado’s contract with the Blaugrana runs until the summer of 2024, and he is currently under the Catalans’ direct jurisdiction once again after his loan expired last week.

According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, the 24-year-old has multiple offers on his table. He is expected to leave Barcelona on a free transfer despite having a year left on his contract, but the club will continue to keep a percentage of any future sale of the star.

Of the various parties lined at his doorstep, Real Betis are growing increasingly close to signing Collado. The player is in advanced negotiations with the Seville-based side, and rapid developments can be expected in the weeks to come.

Earlier this week, it came to light that the La Masia graduate had tempting offers from Turkish clubs on his table with Besiktas and Antalyaspor particularly interested.

At the moment, however, it appears that the player prefers to stay in Europe’s top five leagues and fight for a place. With talks with Real Betis said to be advanced, it remains to be seen if Collado does end up joining Manuel Pellegrini’s side.