Barcelona are on the verge of renewing promising young left-back, as per Sport.
The 19-year-old has exploded onto the scene for Barcelona this campaign, excelling at both left and right-back. Before the World Cup, he played more often than either of his veteran competition Marcos Alonso or Jordi Alba. That led to a call-up to the Spain World Cup squad when Jose Gaya was injured, where he would make his first international appearances.
His new deal will run until 2027 and should include a significant pay rise, as he was one of the lowest-paid in the first team. In light of his performances, Barcelona saw fit to tie him to the club, with his current contract expiring in 2024.
It will likely not be announced until January though, as Barcelona struggle to fit salaries into their La Liga limit. The Blaugrana will wait until they have updated figures from La Liga before committing to the deal, and it is not ruled out that he plays on his Barca Atletic contract until the end of the season, should they be unable to fit the new deal into their limit.
Once the matter is resolved, the club will sit down with Marcos Alonso to discuss a renewal.
While Balde’s rise has been sudden, if he keeps up his recent form, he could quite easily become Barcelona’s starting left-back for the coming years. The club are keen to shift Alba’s high salary and Balde allows them to do just that, in the knowledge they have a quality solution.
