Departing Barcelona youngster explains decision to leave: ‘Look at the team…’ | OneFootball

Former Barcelona talent Alex Garrido has this week provided an insight into his decision to bring a close to his career-long stint on the books of the Blaugrana this summer.

Midfielder Garrido, for those not aware, saw his departure from Catalunya’s capital made official last month.

After allowing his contract to run down, the 21-year-old opted for a new adventure in the Spanish 2nd tier, with Eibar.

Garrido’s move came after Barca Atlètic – for whom he acted as captain last season – were subjected to a shock relegation in 2024/25.

As much, in turn, was viewed as the most likely explanation for his decision to move on.

Speaking during an interview with Gerard Romero of Jijantes on Monday, though, the Spaniard provided an insight into another absolutely key factor in his call to seek out playing time elsewhere.

Specifically, Garrido highlighted the standard of competition in Hansi Flick’s Blaugrana midfield:

“It was time to take the step. Mentally, I was ready to leave Barcelona. You have to accept reality. If you look at the first-team, you’ll see that we currently have the best midfield in the world.”

Conor Laird – GSFN