Hansi Flick sparks fresh transfer chatter with comments on Barcelona star

Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick has turned heads across the Spanish football landscape this weekend. This comes owing to a round of comments on the situation of Blaugrana star Alejandro Balde.

Defender Balde has of course seen his name emerge as a prominent one in the media chatter surrounding Barcelona over 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 for his part fresh off a challenging campaign last time out, which saw him lose starting status owing to a combination of fitness woes and a simple lack of form.

Premier League heavyweights Manchester United, in turn, 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, the aforementioned Hansi Flick was therefore drawn on the situation of his defensive star.

And Barca’s headmaster did not exactly put to bed the speculation surrounding Balde’s name with his response, explaining:

“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. I monitor each player daily, how they train, how much effort they put in etc. It’s important for the club…”

Conor Laird – GSFN