Barcelona sanction midfielder transfer, player leaves training camp

Alex Collado has left the Barcelona training camp in Germany, as he seeks to secure a move away from the Camp Nou this summer. The versatile midfielder was given permission by the club to leave and find a solution before the transfer window shuts later this month.

The 22-year-old midfielder, who can also operate on the wings, made it clear to the club hierarchy that he had no interest in playing for the Barcelona B squad this season. He was keen to get minutes with the first-team but with that looking unlikely, he has decided to leave the club on a temporary basis.

Collado, who made his Barcelona senior debut during the 2018/19 season under Ernesto Valverde, failed to break into the first-team last season. He was with Ronald Koeman's team in Germany for a pre-season training camp, and was an unused substitute for their 3-0 win over Stuttgart.

Following the win over the Bundesliga side, the La Liga giants confirmed that Collado was given permission to leave the camp to sort out his future. He is expected to join Belgian outfit Club Brugge on a season-long loan.

"Alex Collado is leaving the team's training camp, with permission from the club, pending a resolution over his future," Barcelona said via a post on their social media channel.

The announcement made it clear that the decision was made prior to the Stuttgart game, which was the reason he was not given any minutes by the manager. Especially since he had played both the prior friendlies against Gimnastic and Girona.

Collado is contracted to Barcelona until the summer of 2023, and the midfielder is keen to gain experience in the top Belgian league with a view to returning to fight for his place in the Barcelona first-team next season. The Barcelona B captain is highly thought of by the coaches at the Camp Nou, and viewed as a potential star of the future.