La Liga left-back remains an ‘appetizing’ option for Barcelona, contract expires in 2023

Barcelona’s pursuit of Valencia’s Jose Gaya was never a secret. The Catalan team tried and tried but as the Ches continued to play hardball, Barça were forced to look elsewhere and on came a certain Marcos Alonso from Chelsea.

For now, the left side of the defence is more than covered. Alejandro Balde’s recent surge is more than appealing, while the likes of Jordi Alba and Alonso, himself, are capable covers.

The issue, however, remains the fact that Barcelona want to secure someone who represents a better future. In that regard, it’s very much understood that Alonso is only a contingency plan as he has only arrived on a short-term contract.

As far as Jordi Alba is concerned, the 33-year-old will lose his relevance over the next few months, leaving Balde the only viable option for the spot. This potentially means there is an urgency within the management to find a solution quick.

For that, Jose Gaya was considered during the previous two transfer markets, and the 27-year-old is still well within Xavi’s blueprint. 

As reported by Spanish media outlet SPORT, Barça have high hopes with the Pedreguer-born left-back, especially since his current deal with Valencia ends on June 30, 2023, and he has shown no signs of extending his stay.

Hence, there is this appreciated optimism within the club which has led to everyone believing that the corporation is, in fact, possible. 

Speaking of left-backs, Monaco’s 25-year-old Caio Henrique is being appreciated too and there are talks that the spot will be reinforced in the next winter transfer market.

All this because it is inevitable that Alba could well and truly lose his place in the next few weeks. This was evident after Barcelona tried to offer him on loan to Inter without the left-back’s knowledge.

Therefore, it can be assumed that the situation regarding the current left-back overload could alter if Barcelona decide to do the same. As far as Alonso is concerned, he will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with any foreign club from January since he is only here for a year.

All this means the Blaugrana will once again take a deep dive into the transfer market and Jose Gaya will once again be in the thick of things.