Jordi Alba: Barcelona agree mutual contract termination with ‘ever-positive’ defender, follows Sergio Busquets exiting

Jordi Alba will leave Barcelona at the end of the 2022-23 season it has been confirmed on Wednesday.

The player and the club have mutually decided to terminate the defenders’ stay a year early, with Alba under contract until the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

His exit is similar to that of midfielder Sergio Busquets, who also left the club early to help the club in their ongoing financial situation.

The club released a statement on Wednesday to confirm the decision.

“FC Barcelona and Jordi Alba have reached an agreement to terminate the player’s contract with the club one year earlier than it was due to expire at the end of the 2023-24 season.

“FC Barcelona would like to publicly express its gratitude to Alba for his professionalism, commitment and dedication, and his ever-positive and friendly relationship with all members of the Barca family, and wishes him every fortune in the future. Barca will always be a home for you, Jordi.”

The Spanish international won 19 major honours at Barcelona across 458 appearances to date.

Alba, 34, was a product of the club’s world-famous La Masia academy but left the Blaugrana youth set-up to play youth football at Unio Esportiva Cornella – a smaller local club.

From there he was picked up by Valencia and became an ever-present figure at left-back, and even scored in Spain’s 4-0 Euro 2012 final triumph against Italy.

After an impressive decade away from Barcelona, he rejoined the club in 2012 for a fee of around £12 million and never looked back.

He scored 19 goals and registered 91 assists for the Camp Nou club, became a six-time La Liga champion – including this season – and won the 2014-15 Champions League in his time.

Alba was reportedly offered a new deal by Barcelona, but signing it would have meant taking a 70 per cent pay cut.