Among the many names to have come through La Masia and made it big in the FC Barcelona first-team in the past few years, one of the biggest prodigies when he came through was Alejandro Balde. The Spaniard is Hansi Flick’s first-choice left-back.
The 22-year-old has attracted fresh Premier League attention, but the bigger story for Barcelona may be that neither the player nor the club appear ready to entertain a split. The 22-year-old left-back remains one of the most valuable young defenders in Flick’s squad, which makes outside interest inevitable.
According to [Mundo Deportivo](https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20260326/1004159527/novias-potentes-premier-balde.html), Manchester United, Manchester City and Aston Villa have all made enquiries about Balde’s situation. The report says the interest is firm and has existed for some time, even if it has not yet developed into any formal offer.
That is not hard to understand. Balde is young, explosive, homegrown and already proven at top level, exactly the sort of profile Premier League clubs tend to chase aggressively. His current Barca deal runs until 2028.
His priority right now is to stay at Barcelona, the club he sees as home. Barca, for their part, are also said to have no intention of selling him at this stage, although the club’s financial situation means a huge proposal could at least be considered in theory.
From a Barcelona perspective, Balde looks more like a player to build around than one to cash in on, especially because he is considered Flick’s first-choice left-back whenever fit. The only reason he has lost that status this season was a muscle injury suffered in the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid.
Of course, there have been concerns about his development and that there seems to be no improvement to the attacking side of his game. His final ball is often found lacking but at 22, there is still time to address those weaknesses.
It remains to be seen if any of these Premier League clubs submit an offer for Balde and whether or not Barcelona consider it in the upcoming summer.