Alejandro Balde unsure over Barcelona contract extension

Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde has admitted he does not yet know if he will sign a new contract at Camp Nou.

The 19-year-old has been highly rated for a while now and has made the jump into Xavi’s first team this season, making 20 appearances in all competitions and even forcing his way into Spain’s World Cup squad.

At club level, Balde has just 18 months remaining on his current deal and, although talks over an extension have been ongoing for months, he is yet to put pen to paper despite openly admitting his desire to do so.

Financial struggles have created significant uncertainty over a number of potential contract extensions, with Barcelona already in breach of next season’s salary cap rules without handing pay rises to players like Balde, who has ousted Jordi Alba to become the team’s starting left-back.

Now, speaking to Cadena SER’s Què t’hi jugues, Balde confessed that he does not know what the future holds for him.

“Right now, I leave everything in the hands of my agent,” he said. “My intention is always to be here, but what can happen in the future, I don’t know.”

Reports have suggested that the terms over an extension have already been agreed with Balde and his representatives, but Barcelona are not yet able to officially finalise a pay rise until they trim more salary from their books.

While the situation obviously isn’t ideal for Balde, the young left-back admitted he has no regrets about snubbing the chance to leave Barcelona last summer.

“I didn’t know what my future would be, last season I didn’t have many minutes in the first team but I took it as a challenge because I wanted to stay here,” he continued. “There were offers but nothing serious because I wanted to stay here.

“Almost a year ago I was between Barça B and the first team and now, six months later, I’ve played at a World Cup and started many games for Barça. It’s been a dream for me.”