{"id":2836,"date":"2026-09-12T18:44:52","date_gmt":"2026-09-12T18:44:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportbulletin.top\/?p=2836"},"modified":"2026-09-12T18:44:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-12T18:44:52","slug":"barcelona-never-considered-loan-exit-for-homegrown-star-amidst-man-united-interest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportbulletin.top\/?p=2836","title":{"rendered":"Barcelona never considered loan exit for homegrown star amidst Man United interest"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Barcelona<\/a> have started the 2026-27 season in unstoppable form under Hansi Flick, with the team working in unison to pick teams apart with utmost ease.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Catalan club have enjoyed a perfect start to the new campaign, with five wins from five across La Liga<\/a> and the Champions League.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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However, one player who is yet to play a single minute for Bar\u00e7a this season is Alejandro Balde<\/a>. The Spaniard has fallen down the pecking order under Flick.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Balde emerged as a genuine exit candidate at the fag end of the summer transfer window, with Flick leaving him out of the squad on Matchday 1.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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In his absence, Xavi Espart<\/a> has stepped up<\/a> and played every single minute in La Liga so far for Bar\u00e7a, mostly at left-back.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Joao Cancelo has rotated well with him and started at left-back against Feyenoord in the Champions League.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Barcelona only considered a permanent sale<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Now, according to Fabrizio Romano<\/a>, Barcelona only considered a permanent sale for Balde in the summer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Manchester United were interested but wanted to sign him on loan, with a permanent signing seen as financially impossible for the English club.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Xavi Espart has been a revelation at left-back for Barcelona. (Photo by Francisco Macia\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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That stance immediately created a major gap between the two clubs. The Red Devils\u2019 financial position would never have aligned with the Catalans\u2019 interest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For Bar\u00e7a, the logic is understandable. A loan would have seen an important first-team player until last season leave with little to no upside for the Catalans.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Balde remains important to Bar\u00e7a\u2019s future<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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Balde\u2019s situation has been closely watched because competition at left-back has increased and Flick has demanded more consistency from him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Even so, there is no doubting his talent or the fact that he can go on to become an important part of Bar\u00e7a\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Having enjoyed a close to undisputed run since he first broke into the first team, Balde is facing a test for the first time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Hansi Flick has challenged Balde to step up his level.. (Photo by David Ramos\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The academy graduate still has qualities that are close to impossible to buy in the market and would be the perfect complementary profile to Espart and Cancelo.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Bar\u00e7a made the right call<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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In an ideal world, Barcelona should not have considered a sale for Balde at all. That said, it might have been Flick\u2019s way of sending a message.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Catalans were right in their call to hold firm on the 22-year-old and eventually reach the decision to keep hold of him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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He definitely needs to do more in training to convince Flick that he deserves some minutes in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Flick has provided Balde with a challenge, and it remains to be seen how the Spaniard fares through the course of the season and beyond.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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