Why Barcelona continue to monitor the Monaco wing back Caio Henrique
The club are well covered at left-back for now but still need a long-term plan
Marcos Alonso, Alejandro Balde and Jordi Alba... the left-back position is more than covered at Barcelona, however, the club continue to monitor the market thinking about future signings. And one of the players they like is Caio Henrique, the 25-year-old Spanish-Brazilian who plays for Monaco and who has made a spectacular start to the season, with four assists in five games.
Barcelona are aware that, although the left back is overcrowded, there may be changes, even in the winter window. There is an air of provisionality.
JORDI ALBA
The club tried to get rid of Jordi Alba in the summer when they offered him on loan to Inter Milan. And the defender from L'Hospitalet is one of the players who has been singled out, along with Gerard Piqué, after not playing in the game in Munich. His future right now is more uncertain than ever.
In case there was any doubt, Xavi's choice in the first big event of the season was Marcos Alonso, who was the last to arrive this summer and who played his first game as a starter at the Allianz Arena, after making his debut as a substitute against Cadiz at the weekend.
The former Chelsea player, who landed at the Camp Nou as a free agent, signed only for one season, so that, as of January 1, if he wishes, he could sign a pre-contract agreement with whoever he wishes. The season has just started, but one of the issues that the club will have to define, together with Xavi Hernández, in the coming months is the future of the Spanish international.
BALDE
Balde, meanwhile, delivers every time Xavi picks him. He convinced everyone in the preseason and stayed at the club. At the moment, he is taking advantage of his opportunities and, at 18 years old, he started the season by taking Alba's position. His agent, Jorge Mendes, has Premier League offers.
The academy product wanted to stay and make his dream of succeeding in the first team come true, however, the interest from England will increase as he plays more. He is one of the names that the club could use to make money, as was initially thought at the end of last season.
And, given this scenario, with Alba, who has a contract until June 2024, but who is on the way to ostracism, with Marcos Alonso with a one-year contract and with Balde, with very succulent offers, names like Caio Henrique remain on the table. In the summer, the club already made a move, as SPORT revealed, but there was no financial muscle, despite the levers.
Now, Barça are monitoring the situation, waiting to see what happens. Henrique's contract with Monaco expires in 2027. He is a wing back who originally played as a midfielder, so he is very versatile. His strong point is his physique (he is 1.79m tall), his technical skills and his attacking quality
Another appetising name for Barça is Jose Luis Gayà, who has not signed his renewal for Valencia and is free on July 30. There are people at the club who would be very keen on signing him.
