Alejandro Balde faces growing uncertainty at Barcelona as lack of minutes prompts rethink

Alejandro Balde finds himself in an increasingly precarious position at Barcelona, with his future at the club looking ever more uncertain, according to Spanish outlet AS. The left-back was left as an unused substitute in the victory over Getafe, despite manager Hansi Flick rotating his squad and handing chances to several players who had not featured during the international break. Balde remains firmly on the fringes of the German tactician's plans, having been warned over the summer that his standing in the squad had dropped and his minutes would be heavily restricted.

So far, the 22-year-old defender has accumulated just 12 minutes of first-team football this season—coming in a Copa del Rey fixture against Racing Santander once the result was already sealed. In Flick's pecking order, he sits far behind youngster Javi Espart and Joao Cancelo in the battle for the left-back spot. The turn of events is particularly frustrating given his standout campaigns in 2022/23 and 2024/25 under Xavi, where he tallied seven and ten assists respectively. Last season, however, his attacking output took a sharp dive, finishing without a single assist.

Balde chose to stay at Barcelona during the summer transfer window in the hope of winning back his starting spot, despite having options to leave. That decision has yet to pay off, and with the January window fast approaching, he will soon need to reassess his situation. According to AS, the full-back must decide whether to keep fighting for his place at Camp Nou or pursue a new challenge elsewhere if his playing time does not improve.