Barcelona remain busy at the end of the summer transfer window and the future of Alejandro Balde is in question as the left-back could leave the club amid interest from Manchester United.
Balde is happy at Barça but reportedly had a meeting with his agent this week, and the door is still open to a possible exit if he feels like his role at the club will be diminished this season, especially after the return of João Cancelo on a permanent deal.
Hansi Flick was asked about Balde in a press conference
on Saturday, and gave an interesting answer.
“It’s a difficult question because he’s a player of immense quality, and it’s important to know if he’s confident he can compete in his position. That’s what I want to see from all my players. Every day I observe what they do, their level, whether they demonstrate that they’re at the level to play. Ultimately, we have to play as a team; only then will we achieve success. I need everyone to be one hundred percent.”
Flick could have easily just said “I love Balde and I’d like him to stay”, but his answer shows that he wants to know if Balde wants to stay and fight for his spot or if he’ll just hang around the group and wait for his chance.
It’s very clear that Flick wants maximum competition in every spot on the team, and if someone is OK with just being a backup, it’s better that they leave.
Strong message.
