Balde close to leaving Barcelona

Barcelona's players will embark on their latest league adventure on the Iberian Peninsula tonight, when they face Elche. It was supposed to be against Athletic Bilbao at Camp Nou, but La Liga accepted that the Catalans had a large number of players involved in the latter stages of the World Cup, so the match was rescheduled for August 27. In any case, Hansi Flick has taken a serious approach from the outset, bringing the players who are in the best condition while leaving out those whose futures remain uncertain. Above all, that applies to full-back Alejandro Balde, who has attracted interest from several clubs, most notably Manchester United, Aston Villa and Benfica.🚨🗣️ 𝗠𝗔𝗝𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: After loosing to Hull City, Manchester united have sent a €40m bid to Barcelona for Spanish left back Alejandro Balde as revealed by David Ornstein.🗣️ David Ornstein: "Balde has decided to leave Barcelona and his agent Jorge Mendes has been in… pic.twitter.com/mGNDuft9bm— FullTime Report (@FullTimeX_) August 22, 2026 Balde's omission could suggest that he will ultimately leave Barcelona in the final weeks of the transfer window, although Flick suggested that the player was left out purely for tactical reasons.“In my opinion, he has exceptional quality, but for me it is important to know whether a player believes he can compete for his position. I watch them work every day. If they show me the level required to play, that's important because we need everyone. We have to play as a team and I want everyone to be 100 percent committed” Flick said.Balde spoke with his agent Jorge Mendes on Friday to assess his options before the transfer window closes on September 1. Manchester United have recently shown serious interest as they look to increase competition for experienced Luke Shaw.“I'm a very calm guy, although it's true that there has been a lot of talk about me lately. I think I'm doing things the right way. I don't read the press, but somehow things always reach you. I need to focus on myself, my work and continue in that direction” said Balde, who joined the club at the age of eight and made his first-team debut on September 14, 2021.No more loans: Cancelo joins Barca on a permanent dealHe is not the only player left out of the squad for the match against Elche. The same applies to Marc Casado and Hector Fort, who are also trying to resolve their futures. Casado has once again been sent an indirect message that it would be better for him to leave the club, having also lost the No. 17 shirt, which has now been given to new signing Anthony Gordon. As for right-back Hector Fort, he is on the verge of a move to Borussia Dortmund. A delegation from the German club has been in Barcelona in recent days to finalize the agreement with the Spanish side. Barcelona are reportedly seeking a transfer fee of between 15 million and 20 million euros for the player, who has made 30 first-team appearances. Barcelona will also be without Rodri for the trip to Elche, as he is not yet fully fit, meaning fans will have to wait until the Athletic Bilbao match for his debut. As a result, three new signings will feature in the squad: Anthony Gordon, Karim Adeyemi and Joao Cancelo.LA LIGA – MATCHDAY 2ThursdayRayo Vallecano – Alaves 1-1 (0-0)/Camello 48 – Diaz 84/FridayBetis – Sociedad 1-0 (0-0)/Riquelme 63/SaturdayAthletic Bilbao – Sevilla 1-3 (0-1)/Paredes 70 – Oso 15, Ejuke 50, Romero 57/Valencia – Celta 0-0Espanyol – Real Madrid 1-2 (1-1)/Calatrava 30 – Bellingham 9, Espi 90/Sunday18.00: (2.00) Atletico Madrid (3.60) Villarreal (4.10)20.30: (2.25) Getafe (3.00) Racing Santander (4.00)22.30: (8.50) Elche (6.00) Barcelona (1.35)Monday20.30: (1.85) Osasuna (3.50) Levante (4.40)22.30: (2.50) Malaga (3.10) Deportivo A Coruna (3.05)***odds are subject to change***