Alex Sandro Placed in Barcelona Shortlist for Left-Back Role

Barcelona have laid their eyes on another Juventus starter, Alex Sandro. The Blaugrana tried to sign Alvaro Morata earlier in January, to no avail up until this point. The Brazilian international is said to be one of their options to bolster the left flank.

According to Spanish journalist Gerard Moreno, Xavi handed the management a five-name list for the position. Raphael Guerreiro, Alex Telles, Alfonso Pedraza and Nicolas Tagliafico are the other candidates. The 30-year-old has 18 months left on his contract with the Bianconeri.

Even though Alex Sandro has been up-and-down in recent years, Juventus would likely require a replacement before allowing him to join Barcelona. The same issue has impeded other departures as well. He has ceded playing time to Luca Pellegrini in the last month, and also Mattia De Sciglio has occasionally fared well in the same role. The veteran had a glaring mistake in the Supercoppa against Inter, but Massimiliano Allegri voiced his support afterward.

The coach is a major sponsor of the left-back despite his flaws. Juventus recently welcomed Danilo back from injury, who can feature on either flank. The Old Lady tried to offload Sandro in the past because of his large wages, but they could not find a taker. He has logged 24 appearances in the current season, making 17 starts across all competitions and scoring once.

Barcelona are dueling with Napoli for one of their rumored targets, Tagliafico. The Argentinian is reportedly pushing to leave Ajax. The Partenopei have proposed a loan with option to buy.