Manchester City have tabled an astronomical contract to prise away full-back Alejandro Balde, but the 19-year-old only wants a Barcelona stay, with a new long-term deal all but agreed.
Promising Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde has rejected interest from treble-winners Manchester City to stay put at Spotify Camp Nou. That is according to Mundo Deportivo, who says Pep Guardiola’s side have been sniffing around the defender after a stellar campaign for the Catalans last season.
A product of La Masia, Alejandro Balde broke through to the starting XI in 2020 under former head coach Ronald Koeman. However, the 19-year-old truly burst onto the scene only last season under manager Xavi Hernandez.
Since nailing his place down at left-back at the expense of club legend Jordi Alba as Xavi’s starting left-back, Balde has gone from strength to strength, featuring in 33 La Liga games, scoring one goal and assisting six.
Regarded as one of the premier talents in world football, Balde’s performances for Barcelona have attracted the attention of some of Europe’s best teams, including Premier League heavy-spenders such as Manchester City, Chelsea, and Newcastle United.
Balde is still on his subsidiary contract, which is set to expire in 2024. And recent reports have stated that Barcelona as well as the player are extremely calm about the renewal talks, with the Spaniard looking forward to continuing his development at Camp Nou.
The 19-year-old wonderkid has his mind set on succeeding at Barcelona, so much so that he has turned down the huge offer sent in by Manchester City. The report states that the teenager was made aware of the lucrative package through his super-agent Jorge Mendes. But he has no interest in switching allegiances.
Manchester City are in the market for a new left-back. They only have Sergio Gomez as a natural option in that position. Aymeric Laporte could also operate in that position. But the Spanish international looks to be on his way out of the Etihad Stadium this summer.
Pep Guardiola may also be interested in Balde’s versatility to play on the opposite flank, as he did for Barcelona for a chunk of games last season. With Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo also increasingly likely to leave this summer, City could find themselves short in the full-back department ahead of next season.
As such, Balde would have been an excellent pick. Defensively, he is as solid as it gets, with plenty of pace and sound positioning. And he does not tend to dive into tackles and either get beaten or pick up unnecessary cards. His progressive carries, dribble numbers, and crossing improved drastically while playing in a slightly more advanced role.
However, the player is not thinking of leaving the Blaugrana, which would come as music to the ears of Barcelona fans. As things stand, a new deal has already been agreed that will keep the Barcelona native in Catalonia until 2027 or perhaps even 2028, which will be registered and announced as soon as Barcelona gets the margin within the Financial Fair Play.
