Arsenal, Liverpool or Man City? Dropped Barcelona wonderkid's perfect club
Tom Weber
- 6 Dec 2023 13:05 CST
- 3 min read
Alejandro Balde has lost his place in Barcelona's side.
The youngster appeared to be the long-term heir to Jordi Alba's left-back throne and Barcelona confirmed this when they handed the 20-year-old a bumper new contract until 2028 in September. Like many highly-rated Blaugrana talents, Balde now boasts a release clause worth €1 billion.
Yet, despite being a regular last season and early on in this campaign, the Spain international has now lost his starting place in the side. In recent games, head coach Xavi has favoured the experience of Joao Cancelo on the left despite the Portuguese having been brought in to solve the Catalan giants' right-back problems.
Barcelona's recent form has been spotty, so Xavi is likely trying to send a message to the 20-year-old that he needs to up his game, but what if this were to snowball into a bigger issue? Consulting data experts SciSports, we can figure out exactly which clubs should be paying close attention to this situation.
Balde perfect for the Premier League
Though the Blaugrana are mired in financial issues, it's unlikely that they could be desperate enough to cash in on a potentially generational left-back. Additionally, the fact that no club will be prepared to pay his release clause and that he currently boasts an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of a whopping €42 million means that a transfer is probably not on the agenda anytime soon.
Nevertheless, it is quite interesting that Balde would be an ideal signing for the Premier League's top three, according to SciSports. While staying at Barcelona is his best option, Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City all boast a very good Club Fit rating, with last season's treble winners leading the way.
Alejandro Balde's best-suited clubs
| Team | Club Fit | Development | Playing Time | Playstyle | Formation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 83 | ***** | *** | *** | ***** |
| Man City | 80 | **** | ** | ***** | **** |
| Liverpool | 79 | **** | *** | *** | **** |
| Arsenal | 77 | **** | ** | ***** | **** |
| Inter | 76 | *** | **** | *** | * |
However, out of the three, it is probably Liverpool who could use Balde the most given that Andy Robertson, currently injured, isn't getting any younger. The Spaniard could be the ideal long-term successor to the 29-year-old. Intriguingly, the Reds were linked with a move for the then-teenager all the way back in 2020.
