Roma eye Alejandro Balde as Flick leaves him out
The 22‑year‑old left‑back, Alejandro Balde, whose contract with Barcelona runs until June 2028, has sparked interest from Roma. The move comes just after coach Hansi Flick left him out of the starting lineup.
Failed sale and market changes
Roma moves in months after Barcelona tried to sell Balde in the summer to sign Marc Cucurella, a deal the full‑back himself rejected. The sale attempt collapsed because Balde refused to leave the club. Subsequently, Cucurella signed with Real Madrid on June 15, while Alejandro Grimaldo joined Atlético de Madrid on June 30 on a contract until 2030.
Current situation and possible January exit
Barcelona were left without the two planned replacements and with Balde, who three months later had lost his place in the starting eleven. The Italian interest arrives as Balde goes through his worst spell since his debut in the first team. By mid‑October he had accumulated only 12 minutes in La Liga, those of his debut against Racing, after two seasons in which he provided 17 assists. The permanent signing of João Cancelo and the emergence of academy graduate Xavi Espart pushed him out of Hansi Flick’s rotation.
Roma target Balde; Juventus chase Barcelona full‑back
Against Getafe, with the left flank free, Balde did not play a single minute. After the return leg of the Champions League quarter‑finals against Atlético de Madrid, Balde criticised his coach’s approach in a press conference. Gian Piero Gasperini, who uses three centre‑backs and two wide‑backs with a long‑run profile, requires exactly the qualities Balde offers: stride, ball‑carrying and arrival at the byline.
With a third centre‑back covering behind him, the wide‑back covers more ground ahead of the ball than a full‑back in a four‑man line. Balde’s contract runs until June 30, 2028 and includes a €1 billion release clause, announced when he renewed. The figure is considered deterrent and, as noted, no one will pay that sum, so any departure will require a negotiation in which Barcelona sets the price.
So far no concrete offer from Roma has been disclosed nor the method it would use, whether a transfer or a loan. Flick has already confirmed that the club will look for a defender in the January market, a need that a sale would help finance. The answer will come with the opening of the January market; if the interest turns into a bid, this time Balde’s decision will not have a replacement waiting outside.