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Football

01st Mar 2019

Jordi Alba’s new Barcelona deal contains £428m release clause

Simon Lloyd

Alba’s new deal keeps him at the Camp Nou until 2024

Jordi Alba is going nowhere any time soon.

The left-back has inked a new five-year deal with Barcelona, keeping him with the reigning Spanish champions until 2024.

Unless, that is, somebody decides to trigger the staggeringly high release clause that’s been inserted into his new contract.

According to reports, the Spanish international’s extension contains a clause that will allow Alba to leave the club for an incredible €500m transfer fee – £428m in real money.

Alba

Alba joined Barca from Valencia in 2012 and has gone on to make 282 appearances for the club, winning 14 trophies along the way.

Neymar famously had a €222m release clause in his last contract at Barcelona. Like the one handed added to Alba’s new deal, nobody really expected anyone to meet it. Paris Saint-Germain, however, had other ideas.

This time though, it really does seem safe to assume that no club will be offering half a billion euros for a full-back who turns 30 later this month.

Barcelona currently remain on course to retain their LaLiga title, their win at Sevilla last weekend keeping them maintain a seven-point gap over Atletico Madrid at the top.

A 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in midweek also saw them progress to the final of the Copa del Rey, sealing a 4-1 aggregate win over their El Clasico rivals in the semi-finals.