Alejandro Balde wants to stay at Barcelona and fight to regain prominence despite the interest from Manchester United and the competition that has increased this summer in the left-back position. The player's will currently reduces the options for an immediate exit, although Barça has not closed the door to a transfer before the end of the market.
The future of Alejandro Balde has gone from seeming directed towards the Premier League to depending again on the sporting fight within Barcelona.
The full-back is not pushing to leave and his intention is to continue at the club, according to various reports published in recent days. Manchester United has inquired about his situation and appears as one of the main interested teams.
The problem for Balde is that his desire to stay does not resolve his situation by itself.
Barcelona would be willing to consider offers and Hansi Flick has already publicly conveyed to the player that he expects a different response from him.
Flick left Balde out against Elche
The tension became visible before the match against Elche.
Flick decided to leave the full-back out of the squad and publicly explained that he did not see him focused one hundred percent.
"I told him to clear his ideas," the coach assured before the match.
From the player's environment, however, the reading was different: Balde interpreted the message as a challenge to regain his place, not as a definitive invitation to leave the team.
The defender has since returned to work with the group.
Manchester United remains attentive
Manchester United has shown interest in Balde during the final stretch of the market.
The published reports point to contacts to know the conditions of a deal, but there is no official agreement between the clubs nor announcement of a transfer.
One of the options proposed from England would have been a loan, an option that does not fit with the position attributed to Barcelona.
AS places the club's scenario at another point: if Balde leaves, Barça would prefer a definitive transfer and would be willing to consider proposals starting from around 30 million euros.
What changes with João Cancelo
The situation has become complicated for Balde due to the return of João Cancelo.
The Portuguese has returned to Barcelona definitively and has an advantage in occupying one of the full-back positions, especially due to his ability to play on both flanks.
For Balde, it means that the competition has increased compared to last season.
It is no longer just about recovering his best level after the physical problems that have hindered his progression. He also has to convince Flick that he can compete with Cancelo and the rest of the defensive alternatives.
Gerard Martín also counts
Gerard Martín is part of that scenario.
Flick has used him as a full-back and as a defensive solution in different positions, which offers the coach an alternative with a different profile than Balde's.
The coach also has young players from the reserve team capable of acting on the left side.
The final decision about Balde therefore conditions the configuration of the entire defense. If he stays, Flick will have several options for the full-back; if he leaves, Barcelona would have financial margin and a spot that could be used to reinforce another position.
What would have to happen for Balde to leave
A few days before the market closes, several conditions must coincide.
First, a offer that satisfies Barcelona must arrive. The club has not publicly confirmed a figure, so the approximately 30 million that appear in the reports should be treated as an estimate attributed to journalistic sources, not as an official price.
Second, Balde himself would have to accept leaving the club.
That is now the main obstacle: the player maintains his intention to stay and compete.
The market remains open
The situation cannot yet be considered closed.
Balde has a contract with Barcelona and there is no official announcement of advanced negotiations or agreement with Manchester United until this Wednesday.
The pressure is increasing because the market closes on August 31. Until then, a last-minute proposal can change the scenario again.
For now, the full-back has chosen to try to regain his position within Barça.