Barcelona star Alejandro Balde keeps making Hansi Flick's matchday squads. He just doesn't play. That lack of minutes has thrust him into the spotlight of the winter transfer market.
Balde enjoys an important standing at the club, yet Flick prefers to rely on Xavi Espart or Joao Cancelo in his position. The upshot? Balde has been reduced to third choice at left-back for the Catalans.
His contract runs until 2028 and carries a release clause of one billion euros, though his market value sits closer to 40 million.
Sport newspaper reported that big clubs such as Manchester United and Inter Milan chased Balde this summer. Now his name has surfaced among Liverpool's targets.
Liverpool's Spanish coach, Andoni Iraola, believes signing Balde would be an interesting option, especially if it represents a good opportunity in the market.
The two clubs enjoy cordial relations, as the swift loan move of Ronald Araujo to Anfield showed. The Uruguayan defender has already left his mark in England, particularly in the Champions League, with a superb display against Atletico Madrid that featured a decisive back-heel assist.
For now, Balde can only give everything in training and wait for Flick to hand him a new opportunity. January will bring decisions. The Premier League may suit his characteristics, and his agent, Jorge Mendes, could look to find him a solution: a club where he actually gets the role he has lost at Barcelona.
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