Some footballers are ruined by early praise. Carles Alena was called "the Maradona of the youth system" by Spanish media before he was old enough to drive, and for a while it looked like the label might follow him around like a debt. It didn't, quite. At 28 he isn't the superstar that nickname promised. He's something more ordinary and, in its way, more interesting: a technically gifted La Liga midfielder who found the level where he actually gets to play.
He now wears the No. 10 shirt at Deportivo Alaves, signed through 2029. Here's how he got there, what the numbers say, and what the money probably looks like.
Alena in Brief
| Full name | Carles Alena Castillo |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 January 1998, Mataro, Spain |
| Age | 28 |
| Height and weight | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in), about 73 kg (161 lbs) |
| Position | Central midfielder (also attacking midfield and left wing) |
| Stronger foot | Left |
| Club | Deportivo Alaves, La Liga (shirt No. 10) |
| Contract | Until 30 June 2029 |
| Academy | FC Barcelona (La Masia) |
| Estimated net worth | $8 million to $12 million (Icon Polls estimate) |
| Estimated market value | About 3 million to 4.5 million euros |
Mataro, a Footballing Father and a Heavy Nickname
Alena grew up in Mataro, a coastal city just up the shore from Barcelona, in a house where football was the family trade. His father, Francesc Alena, played as a forward for several Spanish clubs through the 1980s and 1990s. So when Barcelona took the boy into La Masia in 2005, aged seven, he already knew what a professional dressing room sounded like.
He stayed in the academy for more than a decade. The Maradona comparison came during his early teens, and it tells you more about the hype machine around La Masia than about the player. Alena was never a dribbler in that mould. He was a passer with a soft left foot and an eye for the next pass but one. That's a rarer gift than it sounds, and a harder one to sell in a headline.
Five Seasons on the Edge of the Barcelona Team
From 2016 to 2021 Alena belonged to the Barcelona senior squad, having come up through Barcelona B. He was part of squads that won La Liga and the Copa del Rey, which is more silverware than most academy graduates ever touch.
The honest version, though, is that he was never quite a fixture. Barcelona's midfield in those years was a crowded, expensive room, and a homegrown player with a quiet style can struggle to get noticed in it. A loan to Real Betis was the first sign that his career would be built somewhere else.
Betis, Getafe and the Long Way to Vitoria
Getafe was where Alena became a regular. Barcelona sold him there in 2021 for a fee reported at about 5 million euros, and he settled into a side that asks its midfielders to run, press and compete before anything else. That suited his development more than it suited his highlight reel. In 2021/22 he played 33 games with a goal and two assists; in 2022/23 he made 38 appearances and scored twice.
Those aren't flashy totals. They are the numbers of a player who was trusted week after week, which is the thing he'd been missing.
In July 2025 Alaves made his move from Getafe permanent for a reported 1 million euros. On paper that's a modest fee. In practice it bought them a 27 year old with top flight experience, a contract running to 2029, and someone willing to take the No. 10 shirt and the expectations that come with it.
What the 2025/26 Numbers Say
His first full season as an Alaves player brought 34 La Liga appearances, four assists and close to 2,000 minutes. He didn't score in the league.
Read that two ways. The minutes say he was a core part of the side, not a squad filler. The goal column says he isn't the kind of No. 10 who carries a team's scoring. Across his senior career he has passed 370 appearances and 36 goals, which fits the profile: a creator and tempo setter rather than a finisher.
- What he does well: receiving in tight spaces, switching play with his left foot, keeping possession ticking over.
- Where he's limited: he isn't physically imposing at 1.80 m and 73 kg, and he isn't a regular goal threat.
- Versatility: he can play centrally, as an attacking midfielder or from the left.
Internationally, he played for Spain at U16, U17, U19 and U21 level, winning three U21 caps, but has no senior Spain cap. He has represented Catalonia since 2022.
Where does a career like his sit in the wider picture? Nowhere near the very top, and he'd probably say so himself. If you'd rather argue about who does belong there, cast your vote in our poll on the best football players of all time.
The Money, Estimated
No official figure exists for Alena's wealth, so treat everything here as an estimate. Icon Polls estimates his net worth at somewhere between $8 million and $12 million in 2026, built mainly on a decade of wages at Barcelona, Getafe and now Alaves.
His Alaves salary is reported at around 1.2 million euros a year, roughly 23,000 to 24,000 euros a week. That is a clear step down from Getafe, where his pay reportedly peaked at about 4.3 million euros a year. Players often take that kind of cut in exchange for a longer contract and a guaranteed role, and the length of his Alaves deal suggests that was the trade here.
His market value is estimated at about 3 million to 4.5 million euros, well below where it sat when he was a young Barcelona prospect. Age, club size and contract length all shape that figure. With his deal running to June 2029, any club wanting him would need to negotiate with Alaves rather than wait him out.
Off the Pitch
Alena keeps his private life private, and he does it more successfully than most players at his level. He was in a long relationship with Ingrid Gaixas, with whom he is reported to have a son, and the pair have since separated. He isn't married, and he hasn't made any public statement about his romantic life. His social media presence is low key, which fits the player: competent, quiet, and not interested in noise.
Asked and Answered
Is Carles Alena still at Barcelona?
No. He left Barcelona for Getafe in 2021 and joined Deportivo Alaves permanently in July 2025. His contract there runs until 30 June 2029.
How much does Carles Alena earn?
His Alaves salary is reported at around 1.2 million euros a year. Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $8 million to $12 million, though no official figure has been published.
Has he played for Spain's senior team?
Not yet. He represented Spain from U16 to U21 level and has played for Catalonia since 2022.
