Alejandro Balde is enjoying a breakthrough campaign at Barcelona and with the Spanish national team this season.
The 19-year-old La Masia graduate has been around the first-team setup since last year but has become a regular member of the team this season under Xavi Hernandez.
So much so that Balde has replaced Jordi Alba as the first-choice left-back for the Blaugrana.
The teenage defender has also broken into the Spain national team, getting a call-up to the FIFA World Cup 2022 as a replacement for the injured Jose Gaya. He made his debut for La Roja in their 7-0 win over Costa Rica earlier this week.
Given his rapid rise to stardom over the past few months, Diario AS is now reporting that a number of top clubs have taken an interest in Balde. Indeed, as per the report, the offers ‘are raining in’ for the 19-year-old.
It has prompted Barcelona to speed up negotiations with Balde’s agent Jorge Mendes to finalise his contract extension immediately after he returns from the World Cup in Qatar.
Balde’s current deal runs out in the summer of 2024 and while it has always been the club’s intention to renew him, the initial plan was to finalise the process in the spring of next year.
But, given his explosion this season and the subsequent national team debut, Barça want to make sure that they tie down the youngster at the earliest possible.
To that end, negotiations with Mendes have sped up and the Blaugrana will look to close the book on Balde’s renewal before La Liga starts next month or in the first month of 2023.
Balde, for his part, has confirmed that he desires to continue at Barcelona and has also revealed that the contract renewal is already being worked upon.
“They [club] are working on that. I want to stay at Barça. What has to happen will happen,” he said in a recent interview.
So, it only seems to be a matter of time before Balde has penned a new contract with Barcelona