Junior Firpo responds to Barcelona rumours

Real Betis defender Junior Firpo has revealed that he is delighted to be linked with a move to Barcelona.

The 22-year-old, who is also said to have attracted interest from Liverpool and Manchester United this summer, is believed to be Barca's leading target at left-back ahead of the 2019-20 campaign.

The Catalan outfit's head coach Ernesto Valverde has all but confirmed that the club will be looking to sign competition for Jordi Alba before the end of this summer's transfer window.

Barca have allegedly made a £24m offer for Firpo, who only made his first-team debut for Los Verdiblancos in February 2018.

The former Spain Under-21 international has said that he is honoured to be mentioned in the same breath as the Spanish champions, but he is currently focusing on pre-season training with Betis.

"It is true that I have heard the stories of me moving to Barcelona," Firpo told Mundo Deportivo. "I take real pride in this and to be linked with a club like FC Barcelona is a compliment.

"But at the moment I am focused on pre-season training with Betis. I am so grateful to the club, because they have given me everything."

Borussia Dortmund's Raphael Guerreiro and Bayern Munich's David Alaba have also been suggested as possible left-back options for Barca ahead of the new season.