Manchester City attempt negotiations with Barcelona over Spain international defender

Officials at Manchester City attempted to open talks with colleagues at Barcelona during the summer transfer window over a deal for one rising star at the La Liga club.

The two sides are often at the centre of transfer discussions and the most recent summer transfer market was no different, as one deal came to fruition while several other potential switches came to the table.

Joao Cancelo left Manchester City on a second successive loan deal following his stint at Bayern Munich during the second-half of last season, moving to Barcelona on a 12-month loan agreement that does not feature an option for the La Liga club to buy next summer.

Now, in a new report from transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, it has been revealed that the reigning UEFA Champions League holders made a brief attempt to lure the signature of one of Spain’s most exciting rising talents from the Camp Nou club.

According to the information of Fabrizio Romano, decision-makers at Manchester City are ‘big fans’ of Barcelona and Spain international Alejandro Balde, and the Premier League champions believe he has ‘a great deal of potential’.

In a remarkable claim given the player’s meteoric rise in Spanish football, Romano further details that City officials tried to enter into discussions with Barcelona about the player at the start of the recent summer transfer window.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, it is reported that Barcelona have made it clear that they will not entertain any offers for the teenage talent, regardless of whether or not it is a discussion about a swap deal or a potential bid.

Alejandro Balde first joined Barcelona in 2011 at the age of eight after rising through the youth ranks at RCD Espanyol. Following an exemplary development at Barca, Balde signed a contract renewal with the club in 2021 until the summer of 2024.

That deal includes a staggering €500 million release clause in an attempt to fend off intensifying competition from clubs elsewhere in Europe. In November 2022, Balde then made his first international appearance for Spain in a 7–0 win against Costa Rica.

For now, Manchester City appear to be content with their existing options for the ongoing season, as Pep Guardiola operates with Nathan Ake, Sergio Gomez, Manuel Akanji, and Josko Gvardiol as his mainstay left-back options.