Report: Barça to offer Jordi Alba on loan to land Atleti's Theo
According to Spanish radio station Onda Cero, Barça lead the queue for the exciting Atlético full back and have offered Jordi Alba on loan to land himChampions League draw live 2017/2018
According to a report on Spanish radio station Onda Cero’s football programme El Transistor, Barcelona have managed to turn Theo Hernández’s head towards Camp Nou.
Theo in demand
The Atlético full back has been impressing on loan at Alavés this season and has become an objective for several clubs including Barça and Real Madrid while further afield Bayern Munich and Olympique Marseille have also been keeping an eye on his development. Madrid were reported to have lodged an offer for the left back that would meet his minimum release clause of 24 million euros on a five year deal at the Bernabéu.
Barcelona are also willing to meet the clause and although the financial package on offer for the player at Camp Nou would be less than at Real Madrid, the Catalan club have added bait in the form of a guaranteed starting place with Jordi Alba making way by moving to Atlético on loan as part of the deal.
Atlético would prefer not to sell to Real Madrid
Onda Cero journalist José Ramón de la Morena said that he had been told by sources that Barcelona had reached an agreement with Theo and that although Real Madrid were also interested in the 19-year-old France under-20 international “Atlético have made it clear that if he leaves they would prefer it if he went to Barcelona.”
Barça attempted to lure Theo last summer but Atlético reacted swiftly and handed him a new contract, raising his release clause to 24 million euros at the same time. However, Atlético are unlikely to let one of their brightest academy products leave without a fight and Diego Simeone has said that he wants Theo to remain at the club, where he will have to dislodge Filipe Luis from the left back role next season.