Barcelona held talks for €18 million left-back in August but missed deadline to close deal

A fresh report from Mundo Deportivo has offered some light on Barcelona’s pursuit of Javi Galan in the summer. The Celta Vigo defender was one of Xavi’s targets, in his bid to add more quality to the left-back department.

Galan’s technical prowess coupled with his recent success in the Spanish top flight had made him an appealing option for the Barcelona head coach.

While Marcos Alonso had been the Blaugrana’s top choice, delays in negotiations with Chelsea for the Spaniard led the club to consider other options, including Galan.

The club had even held talks with Celta Vigo regarding a summer swoop for the left-back, who had a release clause worth around €18 million. Celta were willing to cash in on the defender as well but on one condition.

The Spanish outfit asked Barcelona to meet the release clause before the third week of August. This is because the club rated Galan highly and required a bit of time to scout for an ideal replacement, rather than settling for a last-minute choice to take over from him.

Barcelona, on their part, tried to negotiate the value of the release clause. They were hoping to settle for somewhere between €10-15 million. The Catalans also did not show complete conviction in their desire to sign the left-back by refusing to meet the release clause.

It led to Celta Vigo vice-president Ricardo Barroso taking a firm stand once the deadline had passed, as he insisted that Galan would remain at the club. Barcelona themselves did not make much of an effort after that, despite considering a late move for the defender.

At the end, with the deadline over, the Catalans brought in Marcos Alonso. The Spaniard arrived from Chelsea on deadline day on a free transfer after the Blues terminated his contract.

Barcelona also reinforced the other side by bringing in Hector Bellerin on deadline day. However, the two players are yet to provide anything substantial to the table so far, with Bellerin notably picking up an injury during the international break.

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