Suddenly: Hansi Flick leaves Barcelona star out of squad for Elche clash. What happened?

Alejandro Balde's situation has taken another sharp turn just hours before Barcelona's trip to Elche.

Details: According to The Touchline, the player in question is Alejandro Balde. The left-back was ready to travel with Barcelona for the La Liga away match against Elche, but Hansi Flick ultimately left him out of the squad list.

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The timing is particularly intriguing. Ahead of the match, Flick was directly asked about Balde's future and stressed that the defender has great quality, but that he needs to be convinced he can compete for his position. The German also made it clear that he wants every player to be fully committed.

At the same time, Balde has found himself at the center of transfer speculation. Jijantes FC reported that the 22-year-old had decided to seek an exit after recent talks and that his agent Jorge Mendes was working to find him a new club. However, other reports cited sources close to the player saying he remained hopeful of staying and would only consider leaving if Barcelona made it clear he was not in their plans.

For now, there has been no official explanation linking Balde's reported exclusion from the Elche squad directly to a possible transfer. Barcelona's official website still lists the Spaniard among Hansi Flick's first-team defenders.

It's worth noting that Balde joined Barcelona's academy in 2011 at the age of eight and made his first-team debut against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in September 2021.

Reminder: Barcelona faces a high-profile exit! Star player decides to leave the club