FC Barcelona can lose one of the standout players of its 2-1 win over bitter rivals Real Madrid for … [+]
FC Barcelona can lose one of the standout players of its 2-1 friendly win over bitter rivals Real Madrid for free in the near future as things stand.
Pau Victor took the MVP award back to his hotel room after a stunning double from him was enough to seal victory for the Catalans at the MetLife Stadium.
Picked up for a few million euros via Girona less than a fortnight ago, the 22-year-old followed up on his first team debut strike against Manchester City in Orlando on Tuesday by firing a 12-minute brace against Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
Yet it is safe to say that the forward, this time positioned on the right wing but often seen partnering Robert Lewandowski up front, wouldn’t have been able to steal the headlines without the help of his teammate Alex Valle.
The Badalona native was a left back playing on the opposite channel and adapted effortlessly against the La Liga and Champions League holders.
Not only did he keep Brahim Diaz in his pocket on the Morocco international’s 25th birthday, but Valle also deserved to be credited with two assists for Pau Victor across a 65-minute showing where he also put up 88% passing accuracy including three key passes, completed 100% of his dribbles, and won seven out of eight of his duels.
Approaching half time after play was halted for almost an hour because of bad weather, Valle found Robert Lewandowski with an inch-perfect pass into the box which the Pole knocked into Pau Victor’s path to convert past Thibaut Courtois.
There was no taking away his assist credit for Pau Victor’s second goal, however, with social media salivating over the outside-of-the-boot pass that the Badalona native knocked into Pau Victor’s path for his second.
The pair increased their chances of staying in Hansi Flick’s first team beyond the ongoing preseason tour of the US in East Rutherford.
But while Pau Victor is tied down until mid-2029, Alex Valle can worryingly leave for free in less than a year as things stand because his deal expires on June 30, 2025.
Perhaps just as worrying is that according to Mundo Deportivo and SPORT, Valle’s release clause lowered to a paltry $3.2 million (€3 million) on August 1.
On the strength of Saturday’s showing, Barca must act swiftly to secure Valle further into the future, or at least increase the amount of money that it would take rivals clubs to get him to the negotiation table.
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