Alejandro Balde and Jules Kounde were two key pieces in Hansi Flick’s glorious first season at Barcelona, but their roles have been dimished this year and questions remain about their long-term futures at Camp Nou.
The two full-backs are admired by several Premier League teams and both have been linked with exits as Barça look to raise funds for their ambitious plans in the summer, so it is natural that Hansi Flick would be asked questions about the players at a press conference on Tuesday.
Balde has
been relegated to the bench with the rise of João Cancelo since his arrival on loan in January, and Kounde has dealt with injuries while also struggling to find the same incredible form he showed last season. Kounde was surprisingly left out of the starting lineup in Sunday’s league-clinching win in El Clásico, so Flick was asked what both full-backs need to do to earn more minutes going forward.
“I’ve spoken with [Balde]. He was coming back from injury and he’s changed a lot in this time. When I see Balde, he’s improved a lot. He’s at the next level, but he needs to take one more step. He’s a fantastic player and he has to prove it. He needs to never give up and be better every day. That’s what I want from him.
“After the game, I said it was tough choosing who played, and this position was a tough one. Jules gave it his all. I know he’s not happy, but he’ll accept it in the end. We’re a team, and we need everyone. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
Balde’s future is heavily linked to Cancelo’s; if João is able to secure a permanent deal this summer, then it is possible that Balde might choose to leave and find regular playing time elsewhere. As for Kounde, his subpar performances this season seem to be a result of the heavy workload he had in Flick’s first campaign, and it’ll be interesting to see if he can bounce back next year.
