Newcastle United

Newcastle United: Magpies make contact with Alejandro Balde

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Image for Newcastle United: Magpies make contact with Alejandro Balde

Newcastle United have reportedly made contact with the representatives of Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde. 

The 19-year-old has 26 senior appearances for the Spanish club under his belt after working his way through their youth ranks.

Despite still being in the early stages of his career, the teenager has found himself on the radar of two Premier League clubs.

According to a recent report from Sport, Barcelona are having trouble securing a new deal for Balde, which has attracted interest from Newcastle and Arsenal, who have both reportedly made contact with the player’s representatives over a potential transfer.

However, it states that this came as a bit of an unexpected twist as the negotiations to renew Balde were going from strength to strength to sign a contract until 2027 with a release clause of €500m (£441m). However, ‘both the player and Barça are clear about their continuity and, therefore, surprised the latest statements of the side, who left his future open.’

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This season has seen Balde make 19 appearances for Xavi’s side across all competitions, chipping in with three assists along the way.

In fact, only two outfield figures have played more minutes in La Liga this season for Barcelona than the defender, which shows just how important he is for the team.

Predominantly a left-back, the youngster has also been deployed in the right-back position on some occasions this season, highlighting the versatility he has within him.

Would Alejandro Balde be a good signing for Newcastle?

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The full-back has shown how much of a useful defensive figure he is for the team as he has won more tackles (17) than any other player at the club and has made more blocks (13) and recoveries (73) than any of his fellow defenders.

Balde’s overall league performances have earned him a season rating of 6.98/10 from WhoScored, making him the eighth-highest-rated player at Barcelona above the likes of Sergio Busquets and Raphinha.

This all makes it easy to see why the Spanish club are keen to tie him down to a new deal and why Newcastle and Arsenal have set their sights on the player.

Touted to become a “monster” on the pitch by new Spain manager Luis De La Fuente, Balde has already shown what he’d be able to offer the Magpies and why making a potential offer for him could prove to be a very smart piece of business from the Tyneside club.

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