SNS GroupCeltic have signed Barcelona youngster Alex Valle on a season-long loan.
The 20-year-old left-back spent last season at Levante where he made 29 appearances in the Spanish second tier.
He has now arrived in Glasgow to become Celtic’s fifth signing and will compete for a place in the team with Greg Taylor for the duration of the 24/25 campaign.
Valle joined Barca a decade ago and was part of the club’s La Masia youth academy which has produced top talent such as Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.
After spending last season out on loan he has been part of the first-team squad at the Nou Camp this campaign and was on the bench in the opening two La Liga games.
He has also represented Spain at Under-18, U19 and U20 levels.
Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers said: “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.”
Speaking to Celtic TV after the signing was confirmed on Wednesday, Valle said: “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 what we can experience in this stadium, so I’m just excited to see it in real life.
“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 joins fellow new signings Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo, Paolo Bernardo and Adam Idah at Celtic Park, with the likes of Matt O’Riley, Gustaf Lagerbielke, Yuki Kobayashi, Hyeongyu Oh and Kwon going the other direction.
The Hoops are expected to be busy in the transfer market in the next three days before Friday’s deadline with Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty and Belgian midfielder Arne Engels two of the names linked with potential moves to the Scottish champions.
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