Barcelona star would accept Arsenal move after turning down Man Utd in the summer – report
According to reports, Barcelona star Alejandro Balde ‘would accept’ a move to Arsenal after he reportedly turned down Manchester United.
Left-back Balde has been sporadically linked with a potential move to the Premier League over the past few months, and he had the chance to join Man Utd in the summer.
Balde was an option for Man Utd after they were priced out of a move for Newcastle United standout Lewis Hall, though it emerged that the 22-year-old wanted to continue at Barcelona to prove himself.
However, Balde has barely featured for Barcelona at the start of this campaign, and it has now been suggested that he could leave the Spanish giants in January.
It had been assumed that this could lead to Man Utd signing Balde, but a report from Spanish outlet Nacional claims he is in favour of a move to Arsenal instead.
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Alejandro Balde eyes move to Arsenal
Realistically, it is hard to see why Arsenal would want Balde, especially because they already have Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori and Myles Lewis-Skelly as left-back options.
Still, the report claims Arsenal ‘know Barcelona will give him away in January’, while Balde ‘would accept’ a move to the Premier League holders.
The report claims:
‘If he continues to lose his place in the team, an offer from Arsenal could be particularly attractive due to the sporting project, Arteta ‘s confidence in him , and the possibility of a fresh start away from a competition that is increasingly limiting his opportunities.
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‘That’s precisely the scenario they’re monitoring in London. Balde still has time to turn things around with Flick , but January could be a turning point. Barça wouldn’t automatically close the door on him anymore, and the player isn’t ruling out a move if he doesn’t regain his place. Arteta knows this and sees a clear opportunity: to acquire a still-young full-back with room for growth at a price far below what he would have cost at his peak.’
Instead, Arsenal are more likely to sign a new forward in January or next summer, and ex-player Emmanuel Petit thinks Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez would be the right signing.
“Julian Alvarez is the striker Arsenal need,” Petit told BoyleSports.
“Why? Because he knows the Premier League. He’s such a talented player. He has great movement, great technical skills, and he would perfectly fit the DNA of this Arsenal team in how he plays one touch football. I really like everything about him as a player.
“But obviously he wants Barcelona, and if he didn’t leave Atletico Madrid in the summer transfer window, do you really think he’s going to leave that club during the winter transfer window? I wouldn’t be so sure about that.”
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