Barcelona Hope To Finalise The Renewal Of Alejandro Balde Before La Liga Starts
Not many saw Alejandro Balde’s explosive 2022/23 campaign coming. The youngster’s inclusion in the squad was seen to be a step towards a gradual shift of personnel, but his imperious form saw him quickly take up the role of a starter.
Such was Balde’s impact in the recent season that Jordi Alba realised he had no way back into the team. With the Spanish veteran no longer at the club, all eyes will be on the 19-year-old to see if he can keep up his high standards.
According to reports from SPORT, Joan Laporta hopes to seal Balde’s renewal before the commencement of the new season.
The left-back’s current contract with the club runs out next year, and a renewal has been the priority for a while now. In fact, the player has already reached an agreement with Barcelona over the terms of the new deal and only the formal signatures remain.
As it stands, Balde will sign a new deal to keep him at Spotify Camp Nou for four more years until 2027 with a release clause of €1 billion inserted in it. Needless to say, he will also get a hike in wages given his newfound prominence.
There was never a speck of doubt from either party over the terms of the renewal, and Balde himself considered no other option. Barcelona, for their part, are confident of sealing his registration with the league before the season begins.
The 19-year-old, who is among the nominees for the Golden Boy award, suffered a traumatic rupture of the left collateral ligament of his right ankle on Barcelona’s penultimate match day last season and was expected to be out of action for at least six months.
Having returned to complete fitness, he is raring to go in the new campaign that he starts as the first-choice left-back.
