Report: Arsenal and Newcastle make contact over Alejandro Balde

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Arsenal and Newcastle United have made contact with the representatives of Alejandro Balde, with Sport reporting that Barcelona will not be able to register his new contract until the summer.

Balde has been a regular starter for Xavi’s men this term. And it seemed that he was ready to commit his long-term future to the Catalan giants. Sport reports that a deal running until 2027 which includes a release clause worth a staggering £441 million has been agreed in principle.

However, Sport claims that Barca cannot yet register Balde’s new deal until the end of the season due to La Liga’s salary limits. And that means that the 19-year-old will remain on his current terms for the next few months.

Arsenal and Newcastle make contact over Balde

That has not sat well with Balde and his team. And it appears that some Premier League teams have sensed an opportunity.

According to Sport, both Arsenal and Newcastle have been in contact with his representatives to test whether he would be interested in a move.

Balde is represented by Jorge Mendes. Barcelona however, have no intention of letting him leave. And they hope to find a way to resolve the situation before the end of the January transfer window.

Arsenal have plenty of options at left-back, with Kieran Tierney vying with Oleksandr Zinchenko for the first-choice spot. Meanwhile, the likes of Takehiro Tomiyasu, Cedric Soares and even Granit Xhaka have the ability to play there.

Perhaps Arsenal feel that the opportunity to go after Balde is one that is too good to turn down. He is someone Jordi Alba described as ‘incredible‘. And FBRef picks out Achraf Hakimi as one of the players similar to the teenager.

Clearly, Barcelona do not want to lose him. And Balde would seemingly prefer to stay put. But perhaps it may be a situation for Arsenal fans to keep an eye out for if the uncertainty continues.