Alejandro Balde tells Barcelona he wants to stay and fight for his place

Alejandro Balde has told Barcelona that he wants to remain at the club and compete for a place in Hansi Flick’s team, according to Sport.

The Spain international was left out of Barcelona’s squad for Sunday’s La Liga match against Elche, amid reports that Flick does not consider the defender one of his first-choice options for the new season.

Sport reported on Wednesday that Balde had made his position clear to the club and was determined to stay and fight for regular playing time. However, a departure has not been completely ruled out if one of Europe’s leading clubs makes a substantial offer for the 21-year-old.

Balde trained normally with his Barcelona team-mates as preparations continued for Thursday’s meeting with Athletic Club. The match is Barcelona’s rearranged fixture from the opening round of the league season and will be played at Camp Nou.

Manchester United are currently exploring the possibility of signing Balde during the ongoing transfer window. According to Spanish ESPN, the English club are working on a season-long loan deal that would include an option to buy the left-back.

Barcelona, however, are said to prefer a permanent transfer. The Catalan club would reportedly seek between £30m and £40m for Balde, allowing them to bring in another defender before the transfer window closes.

Balde’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is working to find an agreement acceptable to both sides and to reach a solution that suits Manchester United and Barcelona.

The defender came through Barcelona’s various youth teams before being promoted to the first-team squad in the summer of 2022. He has since made 168 official appearances for the senior side, scoring three goals and providing 21 assists.

His current situation has emerged after Barcelona began the season with a 5-0 victory away to Elche. Balde was not included in the squad for that match, increasing speculation over his position under Flick despite his stated desire to remain at the club.

Barcelona will face Athletic Club on Thursday at Camp Nou in the fixture carried over from the first round of the season. Balde’s normal participation in training means he remains with the group as the club prepares for the game, although the reports indicate that uncertainty continues over his longer-term future.

For now, the player’s preference is to stay at Barcelona and compete for his place. The possibility of a move could still become more realistic if Manchester United or another major European club makes an offer that meets Barcelona’s financial expectations.