The presence and image of Alejandro Balde are unquestionable. At Barcelona, everyone believes in the quality of the Spanish defender. That is the reason why Balde's contract was extended until June 2028.
But the truth is that the 20-year-old's role at Camp Nou has been declining recently. Even coach Xavi prioritizes using Joao Cancelo on both wings instead of trusting Balde. The defender has been on the bench in his last two games.
Xavi affirmed that Barcelona is an environment with fierce competition and no player is favored. Every player must have constant progress.
Although the depth of the squad is not too impressive, Xavi always prioritizes rotating personnel to achieve better results. Balde, who seemed unable to reach Barca's left wing, is now out of position.
Keeping Balde's physical foundation and avoiding injuries is just a small matter. According to the Spanish strategist, there is no place for a decline in performance at Camp Nou.
Balde grew up at the La Masia youth academy and was promoted to the first team under Ronald Koeman in the 2021-2022 season, with only 7 matches. However, this player has since made great strides and brought Jordi Alba and Marcos Alonso to the bench.
Balde played 44 matches last season and is one of the best players in Barcelona as well as La Liga. Although he is still young, he was called up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar with the Spanish team.
This season, the 20-year-old defender has also often started at left-back. But in his last five games (3 in La Liga and 2 in the Champions League), Balde has only started one game against Rayo Vallecano. Even in the recent match against Atletico Madrid, he was not put on the field. Facing Diego Simeone's side and Porto in the Champions League before that, Xavi has chosen to move Joao Cancelo to left-back.
The Blaugrana's board still have faith in Balde, who has played 18 matches this season and had 1 assist. However, the Spanish defender needs to make greater strides in many aspects. He has to accept more risks in handling the ball, be more leaders, more focused and show himself more. Therefore, competition is necessary for Balde to progress.
