Barcelona sells defender Alvaro Cortes to Royal Antwerp for 3.5 million euros

Barcelona has finalized the transfer of defender Alvaro Cortes to Royal Antwerp for a reported fee of 3.5 million euros. The move ends the 22-year-old’s five-year tenure with the Spanish club, which began when he joined from the Real Zaragoza youth system in 2021. During his time in the Catalan setup, Cortes spent the 2022/23 campaign on loan at CF Damm before moving to Barça Atlètic, where he served as team captain. He earned his senior team debut on May 13 of last season against Alaves. As part of the agreement, Barcelona retains a percentage of any future sale involving the centre-back. Cortes leaves after establishing himself as a regular in the reserve side, where he recorded 30 appearances during the previous campaign.

• 6:20 AMYahoo Sports — Confirmed: Promising defender leaves Barcelona after five years for Royal Antwerp in a €3.5 million deal