Alejandro Balde has not played a single minute in La Liga this season, and that shocking benching is officially heating things up in the European transfer market, with AC Milan now making a direct enquiry to Barcelona. This isn’t just a tough start for Balde, it is a complicated situation that could redefine his future, pronto.
Zero Minutes on the Pitch, Zero Focus From Balde?
It’s wild, right? Balde, a defender who chose to stay and fight for his spot, has gone from a regular starter to being left out of the squad entirely. Hansi Flick, the Barcelona coach, straight up decided Balde wasn’t “fully focused” and benched him for the match against Elche. Then, in his return against Athletic Club, he still rode the pine. Flick started Xavi Espart at left-back and even brought on Joao Cancelo, leaving Balde on the bench for the *entire* game. That’s two league matches, zero minutes. Talk about a clear signal from the coach.
The Sharks Are Circling: Man Utd First, Now Milan on the Prowl
This lack of playing time has thrown the door wide open, and clubs across Europe are absolutely watching. Manchester United was the first club to jump on this, hitting up Balde’s representative, Jorge Mendes, to see what the deal was. Balde wanted to stay then, but you gotta wonder if two straight games without touching the field changes that equation. Now, AC Milan has entered the chat. According to SPORT, Milan is not just “monitoring” anymore; they’ve actually contacted Barcelona to figure out Balde’s situation and scope out a possible move. They’re trying to work out a “formula” to bring him in, though no advanced negotiation is happening just yet. Could it be a permanent deal? A loan? Milan wants to know, and frankly, so do we.
Barcelona values Balde at around €40 million, and they are not looking to let him walk for anything less than that. He’s also locked into a contract until 2028. Milan gets that this is not going to be an easy snatch. They are waiting to see if Balde’s patience finally wears thin. Flick keeps giving play time to Espart and Cancelo, keeping Balde firmly as the third option. The ball is squarely in Balde’s court: keep fighting uphill at Barça or start listening to those offers that are definitely piling up. What’s he gonna do?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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