Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Manchester United reportedly lead the race to sign Alejandro Balde from Barcelona.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Chelsea and Manchester United are closely monitoring the situation of Alejandro Balde. The Premier League heavyweights are the front-runners to sign the Barcelona prodigy next year.
Alejandro Balde is the latest success story of La Masia during Xavi Hernandez’s tenure. The 19-year-old did not receive ample opportunities to make his mark under Ronald Koeman. But Xavi has handed the teenage wonderkid, who made his first-team debut in September 2021, enough chances to shine for Barcelona.
Balde has even made his debut for the Spanish national side and made four appearances at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Meanwhile, the youngster has enjoyed a solid 2022/23 season, chipping in with three assists in 16 outings. But Balde’s Barcelona contract runs out in June 2024, which has alerted Chelsea and Manchester United.
Chelsea signed Marc Cucurella in the summer transfer window. And despite the former Barcelona defender’s inconsistencies, he will unlikely leave the west London club anytime soon. In addition, Graham Potter also has Ben Chilwell in his squad. So it is unclear how another left-back will fit into the scheme of things at Chelsea.
The same goes for Manchester United, who signed Tyrell Malacia in the summer transfer window. And with Luke Shaw improving considerably this season, the Red Devils do not need another left-back. Nonetheless, the Barcelona prodigy remains a target for Manchester United. And according to Fichajes, Chelsea and Manchester United are the front-runners to sign Balde.
Meanwhile, widespread reports have unsurprisingly pointed to Barcelona wanting to tie the 19-year-old to a new contract. And the Blaugrana will soon offer a long-term deal to the teenage prodigy. But Chelsea and Manchester United’s presence in the equation might leave Barcelona sweating.
It will be interesting to see if the Spanish international is ready to commit his long-term future to Barcelona. But considering his rising stature at Spotify Camp Nou, it seems unlikely that Balde will leave Barcelona. The teenage sensation also confirmed the same in a recent interview. So Chelsea and Manchester United will need to look elsewhere for a left-back.
