Wolves target Carles Alena insists the chance to build on a “spectacular” loan spell at Getafe was the reason behind his decision to rejoin the La Liga outfit from Barcelona on a permanent deal, speaking via Marca.
Just one year after taking on Inter Milan in the Europa League knockout stages, there was a real chance Getafe’s demise would be even quicker than their rise.
When Alena arrived on loan from Barcelona during the January transfer window, the Madrid-based outfit were sinking like a stone, stuck in the relegation mire and seemingly heading one way – down.
Five months later, everyone at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez was breathing an almighty sigh of relief, tussling Alena’s hair and thanking their new fans’ favourite for his role in a dramatic and nerve-shredding escape from the bottom three.
Why did Barcelona star Carles Alena choose Getafe over Wolves?
The midfielder, likened to Xavi during his time in Barca’s La Masia academy, set up the winner against Huesca, inspired a 3-0 thrashing of Valencia and scored a crucial goal in the 2-1 triumph over Levante in the penultimate game of the season.
And when it became clear cash-strapped Barcelona were willing to sell Alena for just £4 million, Getafe wasted little time in securing what already feels like one of the bargains of the season.
“The truth is I spent six spectacular months here. It is a family, it is what I was looking for,” Alena says when asked why he chose to return.
“I had some conversations with the coach (former Sevilla and Marseille boss Michel). This is a project that suits me a lot. I wanted to come here because of Michel’s project.
“I’m very excited. I have seen (my Getafe teammates) very happy. They are spectacular. I feel comfortable here and that’s one of my reasons to come here.”
According to Sport, Wolves had also expressed their interest in the technically gifted Alena.
But once Getafe made it clear he was welcome back with open arms, a potential move to the Premier League was placed firmly on the back burner.
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