Barcelona are back in the good books with the Catalan media after two crucial wins over Porto and Atletico Madrid, and part of that turnaround has seen Joao Cancelo move to left-back. His performance there has been excellent, with Barcelona looking more solid including three central defenders in the side. The loser from this alteration is Alejandro Balde, who has been dropped from the Spain side, and now finds himself on the bench in Barcelona.
Balde, 20, recently signed a contract renewal until 2028, and it seems bizarre that there would be talk of a sale for the young left-back, regarded as one of the most talented in world football. Yet after previous reports that Manchester City were interested in him last summer, and that he still has interest from the Premier League, Sport have again divulged that should the current situation continue, the necessity for a major sale next summer could edge Balde towards the exit door.
Ultimately, Balde is well in control of his future, and if he does not win back his place, he can elect to stay and fight for it in the coming seasons, aware that Barcelona’s capacity to retain Joao Cancelo is also in question. However it is curious that these reports persist around Balde, who seems like a quintessential part of Barcelona’s future from the outside looking in.
