Alejandro Balde's Barcelona Future Uncertain After Elche Omission
Alejandro Balde’s Barcelona future is hanging by a thread after the left-back was left out of the squad for Sunday’s trip to Elche, the clearest sign yet that an exit could be imminent.
The omission comes at the end of a turbulent 48 hours at the club.
Flick’s challenge, Mendes’ meeting
On Thursday, Balde’s agent Jorge Mendes met with Barcelona’s Sporting Director, a summit that immediately sharpened focus on the 22-year-old’s situation. The tension then spilled into public view when head coach Hansi Flick addressed Balde’s role in his prematch press conference.
Asked directly about the La Masia graduate, Flick did not hide behind clichés.
"It's a difficult question because he has enormous quality and it's important to know if a player is convinced to be able to compete in his position. That's what I want to see from all my players," the German said.
He pushed the point further.
"Every day I see what the players do - the level - and if they show me that they have the level to play. In the end, we have to play as a team, only then will we have success. I need everyone to be one hundred percent."
Those comments landed hard. Reports from Jijantes on Saturday claimed Balde had decided to leave his boyhood club, sending shockwaves through the Culer fanbase.
Mixed signals, then a brutal list
The story twisted again later that evening. Mundo Deportivo reported that Balde had actually taken Flick’s words as a challenge, using them as motivation and expressing a willingness to stay and fight for his place.
The message from the player’s camp was clear enough: if Barcelona truly wanted him, he would stay. If not, he was ready to move on.
Then came the squad list for Elche.
Balde was not on it.
In a week dominated by hints and half-statements, that decision spoke the loudest. With the left-back cut from the travelling party, his departure now feels closer than ever.
Premier League on alert
Interest in Balde has never been a problem. A product of La Masia and already a former Spain international, he still has time to force his way back into Luis de la Fuente’s plans. That profile has long appealed to Premier League clubs.
Right now, Manchester United look the best positioned to move. They are in urgent need of defensive reinforcements after a damaging 2-0 defeat to newly promoted Hull City in their league opener on Saturday, a result that underlined the fragility of their back line.
For United, Balde would offer youth, pace and top-level experience. For Barcelona, he would represent a significant sale at a time when the club continues to juggle sporting needs with financial realities.
New faces, new hierarchy
Balde’s absence at Elche is likely to open the door for Jordi Pesquer, who had already been tipped earlier in the week to start. The youngster now appears set to be thrown into the spotlight.
New permanent signing Joao Cancelo has also been named in the squad after completing his move from Al-Hilal, though there are doubts over whether he is ready to start so soon after arriving.
All of which leaves a stark picture: a homegrown full-back with a Premier League market, a coach demanding total conviction, and a squad list that no longer has Alejandro Balde’s name on it.
If this is the end of his Barcelona story, it is arriving fast.
