Inter Miami defender Jordi Alba has announced he will retire at the end of this season.
Alba, 36, only signed a contract extension with Miami in May, a deal that was due to run until the end of 2027.
The Major League Soccer side, meanwhile, is in advanced talks to sign fellow Spanish left-back Sergio Reguilon on a free transfer. Reguilon, 28, has been a free agent since his contract with Tottenham Hotspur expired in July and Miami is close to finalising a deal for him. The MLS roster freeze deadline was on September 12, so unless an exemption is granted, Reguilon will be ineligible to feature to Miami until the 2026 season.
Reguilon came through Real Madridโs youth academy and made 22 appearances for the clubโs first team. After a season on loan at Sevilla, he joined Tottenham in September 2020 and went on to make 73 appearances for the north London club.
However, after falling out of favour at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, he returned to Spain to spend the 2022-23 season on loan at Atletico Madrid. Reguilon spent the first half of the following campaign on loan at Manchester United before ending the 2023-24 season on loan at Brentford. Heย has made six appearances for Spain, but has not received an international call-up since October 2021.
Alba announced his decision to retire in a post on Instagram, saying โit is the right moment to start a new chapter and close the current one with a beautiful feelingโ.
The defender came through Barcelonaโs La Masia academy, before leaving to sign for Valencia and then rejoining the Catalan club in 2012. He then became one of the best left-backs in the world, winning six La Liga titles and one Champions League in an 11-year spell with Barcelona, as well as the 2012 European Championship with the Spanish national team.
Miami has two games left of the MLS regular season, against Atlanta United and Nashville, and is third in the Eastern Conference.
