Of late, there have been several reports suggesting that Arsenal were interested in signing Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde. The 19-year-old has shown great potential at the Spanish club, regularly deputising for veteran Jordi Alba. So much so that Balde was called up to the Spanish squad for the Qatar World Cup to replace the injured Jose Gaya.
However, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has shut those rumours down, reporting that the Gunners are not in talks to sign the youngster and that Balde “is close to signing a new contract with Barcelona with a €500 million [approximately £443 million) release clause.”
Alejandro Balde Close to Signing Barcelona Contract With £443 Million Release Clause
Arsenal January Transfer Window So Far
It has been a quiet transfer window for the club so far, with the Gunners yet to complete any signings. However, whilst Alejandro Balde will not be their first signing, it is becoming increasingly likely that 22-year-old winger Mykhailo Mudryk will be.
Read More: How Chelsea Could Line Up After January Transfer Window
Chelsea are their main rivals for the Ukrainian’s signature, however, with the Blues completing a loan deal for Joao Felix, Arsenal appear to be in pole position to get the deal done.
Balde would have been a great addition to Mikel Arteta’s squad, but with their focus seemingly on bolstering the attack, and with Kieran Tierney and Oleksandr Zinchenko already at the club, it was always unlikely that Arsenal were going to pay over the odds for a relatively unproven third left-back.
Alejandro Balde’s game by numbers vs. Atletico Madrid:
100% long balls completed
91% pass accuracy
72 touches
42 passes completed
5/9 ground duels won
4/4 tackles won
2 clearances
1 dribble completed
1 key passImpressive performance at left-back. 👊 pic.twitter.com/MplOo6QHTc
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 8, 2023
What’s Next for The Gunners?
Up next for the Premier League leaders is the North London derby, away at Tottenham, which is followed by a clash against age-old rivals Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.
Read More: Tottenham Hotspur Must Break the Bank to Acquire Sporting Duo
Arsenal fans will be hoping that their team’s lack of transfer activity thus far will not hinder the side in what is two massive games for the club.
