Barcelona unearthed arguably the best left back in world football for the 2022/23 season in Spanish international Alejandro Balde, who was an absolute menace on both sides of the pitch.
Even as a teenager, Balde was the best left back in LaLiga and played a vital role in Barcelona recapturing the crown as champions of Spanish football.
Balde could lock down any winger in LaLiga in one-on-ones, while he was a stud progressor who even impacted games in the final third with his clever understanding off the ball.
Unfortunately, Balde has been one of the big players to take a surprising step back in the 2023/24 season, hurt by the lack of cohesiveness and the declines from surrounding players.
Barcelona want to make sure players like Balde are performing at their best possible level, and 2024/25 will be a resetting point for the club due to the disappointing results this season.
Per a report from Diario Sport, Barcelona manager Xavi, who will be back at the club next season after changing his mind, believes Alejandro Balde is ready to have some competition from another top young left back prospect, Alex Valle.
The 19-year-old is on loan at Levante in the Segunda Division and is a regular starter, making 22 appearances for the Frogs in the XI.
Xavi and Barcelona are not proclaiming Balde as fallen off or will be displaced by Valle, but rather the Levante man is ready to return to the Barcelona first team and compete with a guy who was one of the world’s best left backs in 2022/23.
The pressure will help Balde compete at a higher level. Complacency can hit anyone at any age, and Xavi and the Blaugrana want to make sure that never sets in, especially for young players with Balde’s talent (and potential).
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.