Barcelona midfielder Carles Alena denies blindsiding coach Ernesto Valverde over his move to Real Betis.
Alena joined Betis last on-loan to the end of the season in a transfer which led to Valverde to complain it was done without his approval.
But Alena told Diario de Sevilla: “I don’t know if he was surprised or not. What I do know is that I told him I was going to Betis.
“I did not think it would be so fast, this clause allowed me to decide my future. Last summer, there was already an interest on the part of Betis and we were on the verge of closing the business, but finally we could not.
“Valverde knew I wanted to leave in December. I told him and it was very simple.”
The “clause” Alena refers to was an option in his contract which allowed him to leave on-loan in an ‘unilateral arrangement’ – ie., without the need for Barca’s approval.
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