According to AS, if Balde cannot secure consistent playing time by January, he may reconsider his future at Barcelona.
Balde had the opportunity to leave Barcelona this summer, but the 22-year-old left-back believed he could establish himself at his beloved club and ultimately chose to stay.
A thigh injury suffered at the end of last season hampered Balde's development, while Cancelo seized the opportunity to gradually gain the upper hand. Subsequently, Cancelo was officially bought by Barcelona, having previously played for the team twice on loan.
Despite Cancelo's start in Barcelona's 5-1 Champions League victory over Feyenoord this week, Esparte is currently the first choice for left-back. The 19-year-old, also a product of La Masia, originally played right-back and has started all four of Barcelona's La Liga matches since August, providing two assists.
Esparte's outstanding performance has further reduced Balde's playing time, and the left-back is still waiting for his first appearance of the season.
For Balde, this continued to be a difficult summer. He wasn't even included in De la Fuente's national team squad when Spain won the World Cup. Meanwhile, before the summer transfer window closed, Manchester United tried to push the player, who had signed a contract with Barcelona until 2028, to leave, but Balde was unwilling to go at the time.
According to AS, if Balde cannot secure consistent playing time by January, he may have to reconsider his future.
