Barcelona's Carles Alena Won't Rule out Moving to 'Rival' Real Madrid

Carles Alena has risked the ire of Barcelona fans by suggesting he could move to rivals Real Madrid at some point in the future. 

Per Cadena Ser (h/t Sport), the midfielder was asked about playing for Los Blancos, and despite the fact he's a lifelong fan of the Blaugrana, he won't rule out a switch to the capital: "Football has many turns. I've been a Barca fan all my life. It would be tough, but they've always taught me, never say never. But for me they are a rival team."

He also discussed his loan move to Real Betis, saying his relationship with coach Ernesto Valverde remains good:

"(Valverde) never told me why he didn't call me up. But I had a very good relationship because of everything he has done for me. I hope that we meet in the future. I called him to say goodbye. He knew that I wanted to go. At the start of December I was pretty sure. He knew that my decision was almost taken."

Per Sport, Valverde was opposed to the loan deal:

The 22-year-old was born in Mataro, close to the city of Barcelona, and spent over a decade playing for various youth teams of the club and Barca B:

First-team opportunities have been limited since he made his debut in 2016, however, with just two starts in La Liga and one in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Alena is seen as a big talent, but Barcelona have plenty of midfield options. Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets and Arthur have been the most consistent starters so far this season, with Ivan Rakitic and Arturo Vidal also in the mix. That has led to few opportunities for star prospects like Alena and Riqui Puig.

FootballTalentScout believes Betis is a good fit for Alena:

The youngster will spend the next six months in Andalusia, playing with the likes of Joaquin and Sergio Canales. Betis could use a strong presence in the centre of the park, having used centre-back Marc Bartra in such a role multiple times this season.

The loan will give Alena the chance to develop before staking his claim at the Camp Nou next season.

Vidal is expected to leave soon, and the club reportedly believes he is trying to push the Blaugrana into a sale through legal action over unpaid wages, per Mundo Deportivo (h/t Football Italia).

Rakitic has also been linked with a move away, and Sevilla's Monchi has opened the door for a reunion in the future, per Canal Sur Radio (h/t Football Espana's Collin Millar).