Flick Drops Him! Barcelona's 22-Year-Old Spanish International Balde May Leave in January, Liverpool Lurking

According to Sport, Barcelona left-back Aleix Balde could leave the club in the winter transfer window due to limited playing time. The 22-year-old Spanish international, who featured at the 2022 World Cup, was included in Hansi Flick's squad but has not been given a first-team appearance, ranking only as the third-choice left back. Balde has a contract running until 2028 with a €1 billion release clause, and his current market value is estimated at approximately €40 million. Manchester United and Inter Milan have previously expressed interest, while Liverpool have recently joined the chase, with the Reds benefiting from a good relationship with Barcelona due to the loan deal for Ronald Araujo. Flick only excluded Balde from his rotation in the latter part of the summer window, leaving him just about three and a half months to consider his options. His agent Jorge Mendes may assist in finding a new club, with January set to be the critical decision point.