Alejandro Balde Leaves Barcelona as Mendes Seeks New Club

Alejandro Balde’s Barcelona story is heading for an abrupt twist. Jijantes FC report that the 22-year-old left-back has decided to leave the club this summer, with agent Jorge Mendes already working to secure him a move in the final days of the transfer window.

Mendes has been in Barcelona this week and, with the situation now clarified, his mission is clear: find a new destination for one of La Masia’s brightest recent graduates.

From future starter to the exit door

Balde’s trajectory over the past year has been anything but straightforward. He went from being tipped as the long-term heir on the left flank to losing his starting spot in the second half of last season, as Joao Cancelo increasingly took over.

Barcelona then doubled down on Cancelo, bringing the Portuguese full-back back to the club on a permanent deal this summer. The message was hard to ignore. Speculation around Balde’s future reignited instantly, even as the defender publicly insisted he wanted to stay and fight for his place.

That stance has now shifted. After fresh talks involving Mendes and the club hierarchy, Balde has decided to seek what is being described as a “new adventure” in his career.

The change in direction comes against a backdrop of doubt from new head coach Hansi Flick.

Flick’s doubts surface

Flick did not hide his reservations when asked about Balde in his press conference earlier today. His words added weight to the feeling that the defender’s status at the club had weakened.

“It’s a difficult question. Balde has a lot of quality,” Flick said. “For me it is important, as I have said before, you have to have the condition to compete in a home position and this I want to see in each player.”

The German coach underlined his demands again: “I see what they do every day, which shows me that they are ready to play at the highest level. In the end, we will only succeed as a team. We need everyone 100% committed to us.”

In that context, Balde’s decision to move on feels less like a shock and more like the inevitable outcome of a season of doubts.

Manchester United circle, Milan alerted

The moment uncertainty appeared, the market reacted. Manchester United have already made their interest known. As reported by Fabrizio Romano earlier this week, the Premier League club contacted Mendes to ask about Balde’s situation and the conditions for a potential deal.

AC Milan have also been mentioned as a possible destination, with reports that the Spaniard has been offered to the Serie A side. The fee, though, is significant: Barcelona are understood to be looking for more than €40 million, a figure that could prove complicated for the Italians.

Barcelona, for their part, are now open to a sale. If a suitable offer lands on the table, the club are prepared to cash in on a homegrown defender they once viewed as a pillar for the future.

The shift is so advanced that there is a real chance Balde will not even be in the squad for tomorrow’s La Liga opener against Elche.

From La Masia promise to potential Premier League or Serie A export, his next step now depends on who moves fastest in a market that suddenly knows he is available.