Jordi Alba

Jordi Alba signed for FC Barcelona on July 5th 2012 after the Club had reached an agreement with Valencia for his transfer. The Catalan wing back was 23 when he joined the Club and was the first signing of the 2012/13 season.

Jordi Alba i Ramos was born in Hospitalet de Llobregat on March 21st 1989. After joining Barça at the age of 10, he proceeded through the various academy teams, alongside players such as Bojan Krkic, Fran Mèrida and Dos Santos.

At the end of the 2007 season, he left Barça and joined UE Cornellà, where he spent one season, before joining Valencia, who paid a €6,000 signing on fee for him. He figured for the Youth A team and then València CF Mestalla , where he was a key piece in the team which won promotion to the Segona Divisió B. During this period, he also won a debut call up for the Spain Under-19 team.

He spent the 2008/09 season on loan at Gimnàstic de Tarragona, playing 30 games in the second division and played for the Spanish Under 21 team and figured in the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt. He returned to Valencia and became a first team squad member that summer.

He made his league debut on September 13th 2009 against Real Valladolid. Although he had been signed as a left wing back, he showed his versatility by figuring in many positions and before leaving for Barça he played 108 times for Valencia – including 48 in his last season.

His great performances at Valencia won him a call up to the full Spanish squad in September 2011 and he made his debut under Del Bosque on October 11th 2011 against Scotland. He was selected for the Euro 2012 tournament where he was one of the event’s top players and on July 5th 2012 he was presented as Barça’s - and Tito Villanova’s- first signing of the 2012/13 season.