Credit: Twitter
Jordi Alba has been influential to Barcelona in his last 11 years at the Catalan Giants and won several titles with the club. Alba will leave the La Liga giants in the summer and will not take part with the Barcelona squad in the next season. The 34-year-old has slipped down the pecking order under Xavi Hernández, with youngster Alejandro Balde starting at the left-back position in the majority of games. Alba has still made 29 appearances this season in all competitions, providing four assists and two goals.
The 2014-15 UCL winner still has one year left on his contract with Barcelona, but the club have been pushing him to consider leaving as they cannot afford to pay his wages, which will rise to €30 million for the next season, owing to deferred payments and the incremental nature of his deal. A product of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, Alba left the club at a young age before returning in 2012 for 14 million euros after stints at Cornelia and Valencia.
Jordi Alba took to his Twitter handle and shared a heartfelt post, where he said, "I did it in 2012, returning home with a presentation at the Camp Nou that was a unique moment. And eleven seasons later I feel very proud and fully satisfied with everything we have achieved together..."
He concluded by saying, "It hasn’t been an easy decision, but I’m leaving happy and calm because I think the culer feeling is the best. See you Sunday at the Camp Nou. Thank you culers and long live Barça."
He has since made over 450 appearances for the club, winning six La Liga titles, five Copas del Reys, and one Champions League during that time. Sunday's fixture against Mallorca at Spotify Camp Nou will therefore be his final home match for the Blaugrana and a chance to say goodbye to the supporters. However, Jordi Alba’s departure will not affect Lionel Messi’s arrival according to Gerard Romero. Captain Sergio Busquets is also leaving after this season and it is not clear where the duo will move.