Barcelona tried to sign Valencia’s January acquisition back in 2020 – report | OneFootball

Max Aarons is hoping to make his debut for Valencia tonight at Montjuic, as they take on FC Barcelona in La Liga.

As he steps onto the pitch to take on the Blaugrana, the 25-year-old Englishman might wonder what could have been, as there was a possibility that he could have become a Barcelona player a few years ago.

Barcelona wanted Aarons in 2020

Indeed, as reported by AS, Barcelona held an interest in signing Max Aarons from Norwich City back in the summer of 2020.

Aarons, at the time, had just completed his best season to date at Norwich, having been named the Championship’s Player of the Year at the age of 20.

Max Aarons could have signed for Barcelona. (Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images)

After the departure of Nelson Semedo to Wolves, Barcelona turned their attention to the promising English full-back. Negotiations with Norwich City and his agent, Darren Dein, were initiated.

However, the economic demands of Norwich City, combined with then-manager Ronald Koeman’s preference for Sergino Dest, who had impressed at Ajax, ultimately blocked Aarons’ potential move to Barcelona.

“As soon as the negotiations between the clubs broke down, I knew I couldn’t get discouraged,” Aarons reflected in 2020.

The 25-year-old would go on to spend three more seasons with Norwich before Bournemouth came calling in 2023.

Now, he has signed for Valencia on loan earlier this month and could be in line for his debut tonight against the team he could have signed for more than four years ago.