Balde's future under the spotlight

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has turned heads across the Spanish football landscape this weekend with a round of comments on the situation of Blaugrana star Alejandro Balde. The defender has seen his name emerge as a prominent one in the media chatter surrounding the club in recent days.

After the Camp Nou brass finally pushed a permanent deal for João Cancelo over the line, Balde was swiftly tipped to move on. The left-back is fresh off a challenging campaign last time out, which saw him lose his starting status owing to a combination of fitness woes and a simple lack of form.

Flick refuses to shut down the speculation

Premier League heavyweights Manchester United are recently understood to have made contact over a potential deal for Balde ahead of the transfer deadline. Speaking during his first pre-match press conference of the new campaign on Saturday, Flick was drawn on the situation of his defensive star – and the Barca head coach did not exactly put the speculation to bed with his response.

"It's a tough question. He has a lot of quality. He is a key player, but for me, it's important to see whether you have the conviction and desire to compete for your position," Flick said. "I monitor each player daily, how they train, how much effort they put in etc. It's important for the club…"

Benfica and Aston Villa enter the race

A new report has claimed Balde is looking for an exit after talks with the club and his agent, while Manchester United have already been credited with interest. According to Diario Sport, two other clubs are also keen.

Portuguese side Benfica are believed to be willing to bid but may struggle to meet Barca's asking price, with any offer from Benfica likely to be around 20 million euros. Aston Villa are also mentioned, as Unai Emery's side are believed to be in the market for a new left-back, but may also struggle to fund an acceptable bid.

The report adds that "it's expected that in the next few hours the list of teams bidding for Balde will increase" as news that he's willing to leave Barcelona this summer reaches clubs across Europe.