Alejandro Balde was Xavi Hernández’s first major appearance for FC Barcelona’s youth team. In the summer of 2022, the coach completed his loan deal after an impressive pre-season, giving him the title despite Jordi Alba being in the team and Marcos Alonso being signed for the position. Balde broke through strongly and established himself in both the first team and Barcelona’s senior team, putting in spectacular performances. The Catalan club had managed to develop a left-back specialist, a highly valued position in the European market.
Renovating Balde was not an easy process. His agent Jorge Mendes negotiated a long-term contract that included a salary increase commensurate with his importance in the main team. Finally, an agreement was reached to extend the contract until 2028 with a termination clause of 1,000 million euros. This reflected the club’s clear commitment to young talent.
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According to Sport, Mendes warned the club during these negotiations that Balde could be a valuable asset if they needed to raise money. Since his contract only has one year left until it is extended, there is the possibility of a very attractive financial transfer. However, neither the player nor Barcelona have considered this option as the sale of youth players remains a sensitive issue, as demonstrated by Ansu Fati’s loan to Brighton.
They could clearly see their departure
A year later the situation has changed slightly. Balde remains a starter, but his performances this season have been more erratic. He found it difficult to be decisive in the final meters of the field and Xavi decided to give him a break every now and then to recharge his thoughts. Despite his impressive physical fitness, playing virtually every game for the national team and Barcelona can be tiring. Balde’s role in the crucial phase of the season and his future are uncertain.