Alejandro Balde Set to Leave Barcelona as Mendes Seeks New Club
Alejandro Balde’s Barcelona story is suddenly heading for an abrupt twist.
Jijantes FC report that the 22-year-old left-back has decided to leave the club this summer, a dramatic turn after months of insisting he wanted to stay and fight for his place at Camp Nou. Super-agent Jorge Mendes, in Barcelona this week, is now working to secure the La Masia graduate a new destination in the final days of the transfer window.
From future starter to expendable
The doubts started last season. Balde lost his starting spot in the second half of the campaign, with Joao Cancelo taking over the left flank. When Barcelona then brought the Portuguese full-back back on a permanent deal this summer, the alarm bells around Balde’s future rang louder.
Publicly, the Spain international held his line: he wanted to stay, compete, and prove himself. Inside the club, the debate was far less romantic.
Recent talks between Balde, Mendes and Barcelona have shifted the landscape. The defender has now opted to “pursue a new adventure”, opening the door to a sale that would have seemed unthinkable not long ago.
The stance of new head coach Hansi Flick has played a key role. The German did not hide his reservations when asked about Balde in his press conference earlier today.
“It’s a difficult question. Balde has a lot of quality,” Flick said. “For me it is important, as I have said before, you have to have the condition to compete in a home position and this I want to see in each player.
“I see what they do every day, which shows me that they are ready to play at the highest level. In the end, we will only succeed as a team. We need everyone 100% committed to us.”
Those words landed like a warning. Inside the dressing room, they read like a test. For Balde, they now look like a parting shot.
Manchester United circling, Milan wary of the price
The moment uncertainty crept in, the market reacted.
Manchester United have already made their move. As confirmed by Fabrizio Romano earlier this week, the Premier League club contacted Mendes to ask about Balde’s situation and the conditions for a possible deal. United, searching for a long-term solution at left-back, see an opportunity if Barcelona are willing to negotiate.
AC Milan have also been sounded out. The Spanish defender has been offered to the Italian side, but the numbers are heavy: a fee north of €40 million is on the table, a figure that could prove too steep for the Serie A club in this window.
Barcelona, for their part, are now prepared to cash in if a suitable offer arrives. A homegrown talent, once viewed as a pillar for the next decade, is suddenly a saleable asset in a squad being reshaped under Flick and constrained by financial reality.
The shift is so stark that there is even a real chance Balde will not be named in the squad for tomorrow’s La Liga opener against Elche. From starter to possible omission on opening day – and perhaps, very soon, to a new badge on his chest.
If this is the end of Balde’s Barcelona chapter, the only question left is where his next one begins: Old Trafford, San Siro, or somewhere still off the radar.
