Celtic have completed the signing of Alex Valle from Barcelona on a season-long loan deal as Brendan Rodgers has moved to strengthen the left-back area.
Greg Taylor was the only senior option available on that side, but the Irishman now has two competent operators to pick from following confirmation of the Spaniard’s arrival.
The Bhoys will pay a loan fee believed to be in the region of £1.3 million for his services. He also signed a one-year extension with Barcelona before finalising the move and there is no option to buy present in his agreement.
Valle spent last campaign on loan at Levante, making 29 appearances across the La Liga 2 season before returning to his parent club.
Brendan Rodgers and the man himself have now both shared their excitement as Celtic confirm their fifth summer signing after Viljami Sinisalo, Kasper Schmeichel, Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah.
Alex Valle’s excitement at finalising Celtic loan move
Speaking to Celtic TV, Valle said on joining Celtic: “I’m very excited, it’s a great opportunity to come to this historic club. They have given me a lot of confidence to come here, so I will try to do my best to return the confidence.
“I’ve heard a lot about the fans and and what we can experience in this stadium, so I’m just excited to see it in real life.
Later, he detailed discussions with Rodgers about how he will fit into Celtic’s style of play, as he said: “The manager gave me a lot of confidence to come here. He told me that he has watched some games in Barca and Levante, so I’m really happy to be here and looking forward to training with the team.
“I would say this way of playing is the best for my style and for what I like. I’ve been learning it in the Barca academy, so I’m looking forward to playing.”
Valle will likely be available this weekend for the visit of Rangers should he join up with his teammates in the coming days.
Brendan Rodgers on Alex Valle’s arrival
After the announcement, Rodgers also made his thoughts known, stating [Celtic FC]: “We’re delighted to have landed Alex on this season-long loan as we continue to strengthen the squad for the season ahead.
“His footballing style will complement our attacking play as well as giving us more options in our backline. Alex has been brought up in a real high-quality footballing environment learning all the good habits and skills associated with any top team. He is a player with some tremendous attributes.’
“He has performed really well for Levante last season, been around Barcelona’s first team this year already and he is a welcome and quality addition to our squad.”
You get the impression this is a bit of a coup for Celtic. Valle certainly possesses an intriguing football background as a La Masia graduate, and it is telling that the defender believes the reigning Scottish Premiership champions are the best next step to harness his development.
Ultimately, the Bhoys have finally found a solution to their left-back problem. Last season, Taylor was the only option for more or less the entirety of the run-in, so having the ability to rotate in the position is crucially important.
Creating an environment for healthy competition will make it intriguing to see who Rodgers favours as his first choice once Valle settles into life in Glasgow. For now, supporters will extend a warm welcome to the club’s latest recruit, which can hopefully signal the first of several dominoes falling in the next few days.
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