Flick benches Baldé: “His head isn't here, I told him to clear his thoughts”

Álex Baldé's future at Barcelona hangs in the balance unless he changes his current attitude.

This was made clear by Hansi Flick, the Spanish champions' coach, just before their match against Elche. Flick omitted the Spanish international, who is reportedly on his way out, with the newspaper Sport linking him to Benfica.

“I'll be honest: I spoke with him this morning. I don't think he's 100 percent, his head isn't here, and that's why I decided to leave him out,” Flick revealed about the player who made 42 appearances last season and, despite his age, has already played nearly 170 games for the Catalan giants.

“I hope he clears his head, and when he returns to training, we'll see what happens,” he added.

It's worth noting that while Benfica's name emerged this weekend, the 22-year-old talent has been consistently linked with a move to the Premier League, with Manchester United and Aston Villa reportedly the primary suitors.