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Ajax left-back Nicolas Tagliafico has expressed his disappointment after his dream Barcelona switch was blocked by his club in the winter transfer window.
The Argentine international will become a free agent after the end of the ongoing season. He was looking to make a move after clear interest from Spanish giants Barcelona. Tagliafico expressed his disappointment during an interview, saying that he believes "his professionalism harmed him."
Tagliafico expressed his disappointment in an interview with SPORTS. He said:
“I feel that opportunities can’t be missed and it is a unique opportunity, to be able to go to a club like Barca. For me, it was a dream opportunity and they could not help me in the end.''
He further added:
“There wasn’t clarity from the start There was also no clarity to tell me from the beginning that they were not going to help me. I am disappointed because I have the feeling that my professionalism has harmed me, always training well, never causing a problem, having good behavior every day, it is my mentality and my way of being and I always go that way.”
Barcelona are looking to bring in reinforcements in the defensive line as manager Xavi Hernandez continues his task of restructuring the team. Blaugrana shortlisted Tagliafico as their priority target but nothing concrete came out of the January transfer window.
The 29-year-old left-back has been playing for the Dutch club since 2018. He has made 15 appearances this season in all competitions, scoring twice and making one assist.
The Argentine also revealed that he is looking forward to the FIFA World Cup scheduled for later this year. He believes he is ready to perform well for the national team as well.
Tagliafico will likely switch clubs in the summer of 2022 ahead of the World Cup. Camp Nou could still be the destination for the Argentina left-back.
Dani Alves and Ronald Araujo return to Barcelona training after international duty
Dani Alves and Ronald Araujo have started their training sessions at Barcelona after completing their international duties with Brazil and Uruguay respectively.
The two players have returned ahead of their clash with Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday at Camp Nou. Both are expected to start the game against Atletico Madrid as Xavi Hernandez's camp suffers from scores of injuries.
It could be a crucial match in the race for the Top 4 in La Liga. Atletico Madrid sit in fourth position while Blaugrana are just one point behind them in fifth.
