Alejandro Balde’s contract renewal until 2028 is only a matter of weeks, with a report from Mundo Deportivo confirming that the news will be made official once the team returns from the pre-season tour in early August.
Barcelona and Balde, along with his agent Jorge Mendes, have been locked in negotiation over a new deal since his ongoing contract ends in 2024. For what it is worth, Barcelona have already received the green light from his agent and there is — in fact — an agreement in principle that will be made official after 2 August.
Initial reports claimed that Balde’s new contract would be a four-year deal, but as it turns out, the parties involved have agreed to commit for five years, meaning that his new deal with run until 2028 instead.
Interestingly enough, as part of his new deal, his release clause will rise up to a whopping €1 billion to fend off potential suitors such as Manchester City, a team that tried to lure the left-back away this summer.
The 19-year-old, however, has decided to stay put by rejecting a lucrative offer from the Premier League and European champions according to the aforementioned reports.
As of today, Balde continues to recover from an injury that he picked during the final phase of the 2022-23 season. The injury meant the 19-year-old may only be able to return during the final stage of the pre-season.
This means even if Barcelona players recover from the ongoing stomach bug that caused their friendly against Juve to be called off, Balde may still have to wait to return.
Till then, Barcelona can utilize the time to iron out the final particulars of the contract.