Getty Alpha Diounkou has signed on loan for the rest of the season.
Barcelona confirmed that 20-year-old right-back Alpha Diounkou has signed his contract with the Catalan giants after agreeing a loan move from Granada for the rest of the 2021-22 season.
The youngster, who has previously spent time with Premier League champions Manchester City, signed his contract at the club alongside president Joan Laporta on Wednesday, February 9.
Diounkou will spend the rest of the season with Barcelona B but the transfer does include an option to buy which means he could stay on if he can impress between now and the end of the campaign.
The youngster will also be aware that if he can impress for the reserve team he could catch the eye of first-team coach Xavi. Youngsters such as Gavi and Nico Gonzalez have already made the step up from Barca B to the senior side this season.
Right-back has been a problem area for Barcelona for some time. Sergino Dest has come into the club but has not made the position his own just yet, while Xavi opted to bring back 38-year-old Dani Alves for the rest of the season on a free transfer.
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Diounkou Has Already Debuted
The new signing has already made his debut for Barcelona B. The defender came on as a substitute in the team’s narrow defeat to Algeciras CF on Saturday, February 5 at Nuevo Mirador.
Diounkou arrived on 77 minutes with Barca B already 2-0 down. The visitors did pull one back through Matheus Pereira with seven minutes of normal time remaining but could not find an equalizer.
The full-back took to social media after the game to share his thoughts on his debut. He wrote on Instagram, “The first day is always special. Happy to debut with Barcelona B although annoyed at not getting the win. Eager to continue working to help the team.”
Barcelona B and Diounkou return to action against Linares Deportivo on Saturday, February 12. Interestingly, Linares played the first team earlier in the season in the Copa del Rey, going down 2-1 thanks to goals from Ferran Jutgla and Ousmane Dembele.
What Can Barca Expect From Diounkou?
Diounkou began his career at Real Mallorca but left the Spanish side for Manchester City in 2015. The defender made almost 100 appearances for the Citizens at academy level and was a regular fixture in first-team training.
The youngster did not manage to break into the first team, despite being named in the club’s Champions League squad and making the bench for two Carabao Cup games, and was eventually released in the summer.
However, Diounkou faced a very difficult task breaking into the City side, with Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker both available, and moved on to Granada before enjoying a loan spell with San Fernando.
The 20-year-old has described himself as a “fast, hard-working player” and said he has arrived at Barcelona to “learn and improve” in an interview with the club’s official website.
Diounkou also possesses international experience and has played for both Spain and Senegal in his youth career. The defender has dual citizenship and featured for the Spain Under-17s before going on to play for Senegal’s Under-20 team.
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