He could have left FC Barcelona this summer, but Alejandro Baldé is a player deeply attached to his ideas. The 22-year-old left-back had the firm conviction that he would establish himself at FC Barcelona, the club of his life. Held back by a thigh injury at the end of last season, the Spaniard had seen Joao Cancelo gain ground during that time.
The latter was even kept by Barça, who recruited him for the third time, but this time permanently (he had been loaned during his first two spells). If he started this week during the Catalan defeat against Feyenoord in the Champions League (5-1), the number one in the position is none other than Xavi Espart, a pure product of La Masia like Alejandro Baldé. Aged 19, the trained right-back has played all of Barça’s four La Liga matches since August, with two assists to boot.
Absent from the Spanish coronation at the World Cup
“When I watch Xavi Espart in training, I like his confidence with the ball. He reminds me of Philipp Lahm.already praised Hansi Flick in March regarding the Spanish U19 international. Today, his good performances reduce the prospects of Baldé, still in the waiting room and looking for his first minutes of the season in the shadow of his two competitors.
This painful situation extends an already painful summer marked by his absence from Luis de la Fuente’s list during the World Cup won by Spain. At the end of the transfer window, Manchester United tried to relaunch the player under contract until 2028 with Barça, but a departure was not on his mind. According to A.S.Balde could nevertheless reconsider his future in January if he does not find playing time by then.
