Barcelona Officials Ready for Patient Approach to Jordi Alba's Contract Negotiations

Barcelona officials have admitted they'll need to be patient as they continue to work out a contract extension with Jordi Alba.

The left back is now in his seventh season with the Catalan giants and has had a very successful spell with the club, winning four La Liga titles, a Champions League and a FIFA Club World Cup amongst other honours.

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He's proven to be a vital part to Barcelona's success in recent seasons and has made a blistering start to this campaign, helping his side to the top of La Liga heading into the winter break, and he's now set to be rewarded for his efforts.

Reports confirmed that the club were working with the player and his representatives to negotiate a contract extension which would see his stay at the club extended until 2023, earning the defenders around €9m per year.

These negotiations seemed to be moving quickly, however according to Marca, Barça officials have now admitted that negotiations will in fact not be quick and that they'll have to take a patient approach if they are to get a deal done.

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With La Blaugrana set to return to action in early January, the players are enjoying some well-deserved time off after what has been a very encouraging start to the season in both La Liga and the Champions League.

However, it looks as though it'll be a busy break in play for Barcelona's chief executive Oscar Grau and other members of the board as they work to tie Alba down to a long term deal.