Carlos Aleña signs new deal with Barcelona, despite Tottenham interest

Not that the rumors circulating were overly convincing, but Tottenham Hotspur are set to miss out on Carles Aleña, La Masia’s most prized defender. The nineteen year old extended his contract with Barcelona for three years, which will see the youngster remain at the Catalonia outfit till 2022. Further, his buy-out clause was increased to €75 million euros or £66 million pounds, a price that Spurs are unlikely to match, well, ever.

Where Spurs come into this story is Mauricio Pochettino’s ties to the city of Barcelona through his playing days at Espanyol. Pochettino presumably still has strong ties to the region and as such is linked to players from Catalonia more than previous Spurs managers. For example, we brought in Pau Lopez last year out of nowhere from Espanyol.

However far-fetched the rumor really was, there was some narrative that made sense for Spurs. Aleña was mooted to be stalling on a new deal and his buyout clause was tiny, in the realm of €3 million euros before July 1st, and £10.5 millions pounds after that date. Either one of those figures is jaw-dropping value for one of the world’s best young defenders. Poch is well-known for developing young players and giving them a chance and Carles Aleña is the optimum example of a player Spurs want to be linked to.

Spurs get roped into rumors more than most clubs, yet even though this was always unrealistic, its nice that Tottenham is conjuring links with this echelon of footballer. The club isn’t there yet, but a consistently title challenging side with a manager that excels in developing young talent is a potent combination to get the very best burgeoning footballers to play for your side. Maybe in two years, the next Carles Aleña signs with Tottenham. Here is to hoping.