Alejandro Balde has ruled out a move away from Barcelona, saying he intends to continue playing at the club for many years.
Balde was a key player in Hansi Flick’s squad last season, but reports have suggested that he is drawing interest from Chelsea and Manchester United.
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During an interview with Sport, Balde was asked about his intention amid the speculation surrounding his future at the Catalan club.
“People always say a lot of things, but Barça is my home,” he said. “I’ve been at this club for 16 years, all my life. I want to succeed here, my mind is here. I’m from Barcelona, it’s my home. What I think about is to continue for many more years. I am not leaving.”
The Spaniard faces competition at left-back from Joao Cancelo, who can operate on both flanks. When asked about the competition from the Portuguese, Balde said:
“He’s a very good player. He has excellent offensive qualities. That helps me too. He is older than me, he has more experience than me and that helps me because I have him as an example. I learned a lot at the time from Jordi Alba. It’s Barça and there’s competition.”
Balde came through the ranks at Barcelona and made his official first-team debut in September 2021, during a UEFA Champions League match against Bayern Munich. He was instrumental in Barca’s LaLiga title-winning campaign last season, playing 28 league matches and registering two assists.
He has two years left on his current deal with Barcelona, thanks to a contract extension signed in 2023. The Spaniard is renowned for his exceptional speed, dynamic attacking runs down the left flank, and technical dribbling skills.
“We have eight world champions” – Balde on Barcelona’s chances of winning La Liga in the 2026/27 season
In the same interview, Balde expressed confidence about Barcelona’s chances of winning a third consecutive league title. The Blaugrana won the league title in each of the last two seasons, while their archrivals, Real Madrid, went trophyless in both.
Asked if Barca have the squad to be serious contenders for LaLiga in the forthcoming season, Balde added:
“We have eight world champions who will arrive with terrible confidence, the confidence that being world champions gives you. In addition, we have a great squad as we have shown these years. Great things are sure to come.”
Balde also said the team is keen to win the UEFA Champions League, describing it as “the most important title there”. Despite domestic success, Barca have yet to achieve glory in Europe’s premier club competition since Flick’s arrival. They reached the semi-finals in the 2024/25 season and were eliminated in the quarter-finals last season.
Edited by Ezekiel Olamide
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