Alejandro Balde, a Barcelona starlet, has had a wonderfully remarkable 2022/23 season. The 19-year-old was on the fringes of the first team last season, but a strong preseason performance encouraged manager Xavi Hernandez to take a chance on him.
Balde was asked to replace Jordi Alba as the Blaugrana’s starting left-back very early in the season, and the kid has not looked back since.
Fast forward to May, and the La Masia graduate was instrumental in Barcelona’s La Liga victory. In fact, he scored and assisted on a goal each in the Catalans’ title-clinching victory over Espanyol.
Balde’s progress has naturally piqued the interest of several major clubs from throughout Europe, especially given that his contract expires in the summer of 2024.
As a result, Anais Marti Herrero of La Vanguardia reports that Balde has received an offer from German champions Bayern Munich, as well as approaches from two undisclosed Premier League clubs.
Bayern Munich is not the only team to cast loving looks at Barcelona’s young talents. They have previously attempted to sign Pedri and have recently been linked to Ansu Fati and Gavi.
Balde appears to be popular among the Bavarians as well. Along with them, two Premier League clubs are rumoured to have made bids for the 19-year-old Spanish international.
However, they are likely to be disappointed because Balde’s contract renewal with Barcelona is approaching. Indeed, the two parties are said to have already agreed on a new contract until 2027 with a €1 billion release clause.
The Catalans are simply waiting for La Liga to approve their financial sustainability plan before announcing and registering Balde’s new contract, as well as that of Gavi, Ronald Araujo, Inaki Pena, Marcos Alonso, and Sergi Roberto.
The viability plan is anticipated to be approved by La Liga as early as tomorrow, after which renewals and registrations should pick up, as they are viewed as major objectives at Barcelona.
As things stand, Bayern Munich and two other clubs are interested in Balde, although he is unlikely to leave the club anytime soon.
Leave a Reply