Alejandro Balde loses ground at Barcelona, Liverpool come calling | OneFootball

Alejandro Balde is starting to become one of the names to watch ahead of the winter transfer window. The Barcelona full-back continues to make Hansi Flick’s matchday squads, but his involvement on the pitch is practically non-existent, and his situation has reportedly already attracted the interest of several of Europe’s top clubs.

At 22 years old, Balde has international experience, having played for Spain at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and he still has enormous room for growth. However, he is currently playing a secondary role at Barça.

Espart and Cancelo are ahead of him

The competition at left-back has completely changed his outlook.

Flick has decided to put his faith in Xavi Espart and João Cancelo, while Balde has been pushed down to third choice for the position.

Espart’s case is especially significant. The academy product has earned the German coach’s trust during the early part of the season and has ended up overtaking more experienced players.

Meanwhile, Balde is watching matches from the bench with hardly any chances to prove he can win back his place.

Manchester United, Inter and now Liverpool

The situation has not gone unnoticed in Europe.

During the summer transfer window, the full-back was linked with Manchester United and Inter Milan, while now Liverpool have reportedly emerged as an option for January.

The Reds’ manager, Andoni Iraola, would reportedly welcome the chance to bring Balde in, especially if Barcelona are willing to listen to offers that represent a good market opportunity.

The relationship between the two clubs is also in a good place following the loan move of Ronald Araújo to the English side.

The Uruguayan has quickly become an important player for Iraola, especially after his standout performance in the Champions League against Atlético de Madrid.

Balde will have three months to change the story

One of the main issues was the timing of Flick’s decision to change the pecking order at left-back.

The change came virtually at the end of the summer transfer window, when Balde had very little room to react and look for a way out.

Now the situation is different.

The Spaniard will have approximately three and a half months to try to convince Flick that he deserves to be part of the rotation again.

His only immediate option is to work as hard as possible in training and take advantage of any opportunity that comes his way.

A long contract, but an uncertain future

Balde is under contract with Barcelona until 2028 and has a release clause of €1 billion. His market value, however, could be around €40 million, a figure that makes him an attractive player for Europe’s top clubs.

Deco also recently made it clear that the full-back remains part of the squad and that the club is counting on him.

But the sporting reality is different: Flick currently has Espart and Cancelo ahead of him.

That is why January could become a decisive moment.

If Balde fails to regain prominence over the coming months, the Premier League could emerge as the ideal solution to relaunch his career.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.