Alejandro Balde's Struggles at Barcelona: From Star to Spectator
Alejandro Balde is stuck in limbo at Barcelona. Not injured, not out of the picture officially, but not on the pitch either.
The 22-year-old full-back has yet to play a single minute this season. For a player once tipped as Barça’s next long-term left-back, the silence around his name on team sheets is starting to roar.
Flick’s pecking order leaves Balde on the outside
Hansi Flick has made his choice clear. On the left side of defence, the Barça coach is leaning on Gerard Martín and João Cancelo, pushing Balde into what feels like a no-man’s land between the first team and the fringes.
Sport report that Flick simply trusts those two more right now. The decision has real consequences. Balde was not just rotated out; he was left out of the squad entirely for the opening La Liga match against Elche, with the coach reportedly judging him not focused enough.
From there, the pattern has hardened. Matchdays go by, Martín and Cancelo share the lane, and Balde stays on the periphery.
A summer on the market, a future tied to Barça
This standstill comes straight after a turbulent summer. Barcelona placed Balde on the transfer market following an injury-hit campaign in which he missed 10 games due to physical problems. His progress stalled, his momentum broke.
Manchester United tried to pounce late in the window. The Premier League club showed interest and explored a deal, but talks with Barça went nowhere financially. On top of that, Balde himself had no intention of leaving. His contract runs until 2028 and carries a one-billion-euro release clause, a clear sign of how highly the club once valued his potential.
So he stayed. On paper, a long-term pillar. In practice, a spectator.
Deco backs him – but sends a message
Inside the club, the official line is calm. Sporting director Deco addressed Balde’s situation on RAC1 and chose his words carefully, but firmly.
“Nothing has happened, he is our player,” Deco said. “He is 22 years old, he has a big future, and a contract with the best club in the world. He has to compete to play.”
The message is clear: no drama, no exile, but no guarantees either.
Deco also pointed back to the version of Balde that electrified the left flank two seasons ago. “Balde suffered injuries, but he was outstanding two years ago. If Balde is in good shape, it is difficult for him not to play with Barcelona.”
Right now, though, that version feels distant.
From starter to spectator in a year
The contrast with last season is stark. In the 2025–2026 campaign, Balde opened La Liga as a regular, starting the first three matches and logging 222 minutes. He was not just part of the rotation; he was a fixture.
Over the course of that season, Flick left him on the bench without using him only five times. Already this year, with September barely underway, Balde has surpassed that tally. The drop-off is not gradual. It is abrupt.
One of the few who haven’t played at all
The numbers around the squad underline his isolation. Among outfield players who are fully fit, Balde and Bryan Fariñas are the only ones yet to feature this season. The only others who have not appeared are the two reserve goalkeepers, Ljubičić and Szczęsny, and long-term injury absentees Frenkie de Jong and Bardají.
Balde is healthy. He trains. He waits. The door, for now, stays closed.
For a player Deco still describes as having “a big future” at Barcelona, the question hangs in the air: how long can that future remain theoretical before it has to be rebuilt somewhere else—or reclaimed on the pitch?
