Sports

Alba and Barcelona agree to terminate contract

Spain left-back Jordi Alba will leave Barcelona this summer after the Spanish champions agree to mutually terminate his contract a season early.

Alba, 34, joined the club in 2012 from Valencia and has won six La Liga titles, five Copa del Rey trophies and the Champions League in 2015.

He has made 458 appearances for the Catalan club, including 29 this season as Barcelona won La Liga.

Alba will join club captain Sergio Busquets in leaving this summer.

A statement on the Barcelona website said: "FC Barcelona would like to publicly express its gratitude to Alba for his professionalism, commitment and dedication, and his ever-positive and friendly relationship with all members of the Barca family, and wishes him every fortune in the future.

"Barca will always be a home for you, Jordi."

The decision comes as Barcelona reshape their squad to meet La Liga's financial fair play rules.

Before the current season the club sold shares of their future television rights and their media production unit Barca Studios to allow them to register four new signings.

They then had to offload more players to allow them to register France defender Jules Kounde, who had signed from Sevilla.

Source: BBC