Overview
- Italian paper Il Messaggero reported Saturday that superagent Jorge Mendes has offered 22-year-old Alejandro Balde to AS Roma, and Roma are now assessing a possible January move.
- Reports say the preferred formula is a loan until the end of the season with an option to buy so Roma would avoid a large upfront fee and Barcelona would retain a future transfer route.
- Balde’s reduced role under coach Hansi Flick, where he has lost minutes to João Cancelo and the emergence of Xavi Espart, is the main driver of the agent-led search for a new club.
- Barcelona’s roughly €50 million valuation and Balde’s contract through June 2028 make a straight permanent transfer difficult, and Juventus and other Serie A clubs have shown earlier interest without making formal bids.
- If Roma proceed in January, the move could restore Balde’s playing time and influence Barcelona’s winter plans by freeing space and prompting the club to target full-back reinforcements such as Andrea Cambiaso.