(Football news) Balde has become the latest La Masia player who has broken into the team this season and is being rewarded with a five-year contract extension. Fabrizio Romano has reported that nothing has been signed yet between the two sides who are very close to agreeing a deal that will keep the left-back at the Camp Nou until 2027 as it will include a €500 million release clause.
With Jordi Alba’s Barcelona career slowly but steadily coming to an end as his contract expires at the end of the 2023-24 season also, Balde could be an excellent in-house replacement. The La Masia product has already made 16 appearances this season and appeared in all four of Spain’s World Cup matches. Though Balde is Alba’s replacement, he has emphasised that he still has a lot to learn from the veteran left back.
The Barcelona full-back is going to improve his salary along with Ronald Araujo and Gavi, which is an important piece of business for the team. The announcement will be made when Barcelona can sign the new contract with La Liga because of the salary limit it’s not ruled out that he keeps playing as a B-teamer for now. Balde’s renewal is very important in a strategic sense for Barca as his deal was set to expire in 2024, so the club started to speak with his agent Jorge Mendes last summer.
The deal is virtually done now after the last few days were spent on tying it up. Balde had one of the lowest salaries in the squad, with a B-team contract plus a few bonuses. Now he’s on the same salary scale as Gavi and Araujo, a little lower than Pedri and Ansu Fati, but with the opportunity to keep improving it through performance and variables. He is one of the players for the future as he looks to nail a first team position in the team.
“When there are two in the same position, people see it as if it were a war, but no. In the end, if he’s okay, he’s going to make me better. And if I’m fine, I’ll do better for him. It is a competition, but it is healthy and good. It’s not bad at all because he makes me better and that’s good.” Balde
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