'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jordi Alba is undoubtedly one of the world's premier left-backs and his performances for Barcelona since his return to Camp Nou in 2012 have been extremely important to the successes enjoyed by the Blaugrana since then.
However, for all of his pristine abilities, the 30-year-old is not without his shortcomings and a major flaw in his game is his lack of defensive awareness; with a number of goals conceded by Barcelona over the years coming as a result of lapses by the Spanish international.
Given this shortcoming, it stands to reason that Alba should have some sort of backup in his position, but rather shockingly, for the entirety of his Barcelona spell, the former Valencia man has been largely untroubled for his starting shirt.
Last season, Jordi Alba was the only recognized left-back in the squad and this is a rather ludicrous anomaly for a club of the size of Barcelona.
While Alba has been largely dependable and devoid of injuries for the entirety of his Barcelona career, the sheer amount of matches that the Catalans contest at the top level means that they would have to give him a breather at one point or the other during a gruelling season.
This makes signing a backup left-back a top priority for the club and in this piece, we shall be taking a look at four Spanish left-backs who could provide competition for Jordi Alba on the left flank of defence.
#4 Juan Bernat
This is probably the most improbable name on the list, given that Juan Bernat has hardly been the most consistent performer at club level over the last few years.
The 26-year-old began his footballing career in the famed academy of Valencia, breaking into their first team in 2011, making 74 appearances in all competitions for Los Che and scoring three goals.
A transfer to the Bundesliga was completed in the summer of 2014 as Bernat signed for German heavyweights Bayern Munich on a five-year deal. Despite being a regular in his first season under Pep Guardiola, he was pushed down the pecking order and made a combined 45 appearances across the next three seasons.
He ended his spell in Germany having won the Bundesliga in each of his four seasons at the club and signed for PSG in the summer of 2018.
He did not see much improvement in his appearance stat in the French capital as competition for places with Lurvin Kurzawa and Stanley Nsoki restricted him to just 17 appearances in Ligue 1 although he had more luck on the continent, appearing in all eight Champions League matches as PSG got eliminated by Manchester United in the round-of-16.
#3 Jonny
Jonny is a 25-year-old Spanish international who currently plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League.
Jonathan Castro had starred for Celta Vigo for six seasons in LaLiga having been promoted from their reserve side in 2011 and his performances at the Balaidos were seen as impressive enough for Atletico Madrid to sign him in the summer of 2018.
However, Los Rojiblancos made the decision to loan him to newly promoted Wolves and under Nuno Espirito Santos' guidance, the side wowed all before them, with Jonny playing a key role in helping Wolverhampton Wanderers to a well-deserved 7th placed finish, while also winning his first international cap in this period.
He made 33 Premier League appearances, proving a useful asset to his side's attacking forays while also combining this with efficient defensive duties and it came as no major surprise when Wolves made the decision to sign him permanently for a reported sum of £15 million.
#2 Jose Luis Gaya
Jose Luis Gaya is another Spanish left-back that Barcelona can consider signing in the summer as an effective cover for Jordi Alba.
Like Alba, Gaya has performed exceptionally well for Valencia, having made his debut for the senior side in 2012 after representing the youth teams for eight years.
Since making his professional debut, Gaya has proved himself an invaluable member of the Valencia side, with his impressive runs forward, wonderful crossing and astute defending making him one of the highest rated left-backs in LaLiga.
His form for Los Che has not gone unnoticed and he won his first cap for the Spanish national team in September 2018, three years after receiving his first call up and went on to star for La Furia Roja a further four times, breaking his international duck in the 4-1 rout of the Faroe Islands in June 2019.
#1 Alex Grimaldo
Grimaldo is a Barcelona trained left-back who would have no issues with settling in nicely at the club having spent nine years at La Masia and made history as the youngest player ever to start a Segunda game when he did so for Barcelona B in September 2011 aged 15 years and 359 days.
Sensing that his future at Barcelona was not guaranteed owing to the presence of Jordi Alba and with his contract about to expire, Grimaldo left Spain for Portugal, joining Primeira Liga giants Benfica in a deal worth about €1.5 million.
That amount was an absolute steal for Benfica, as the 23-year-old has gone on to cement himself as an integral part of proceedings at the Estadio de Luz.
In three-and-half seasons with Benfica, Grimaldo has made 78 league appearances for The Eagles scoring seven goals, helping the side to three league titles, one League and Portuguese Cup as well as two Portuguese Super Cups.
Owing to his impressive displays with Benfica, Grimaldo has always been linked with a return to Barcelona with many identifying him as the long-term successor to Jordi Alba.
