Alejandro Balde has taken a step forward this season, but Hansi Flick has never forgotten the possibility of strengthening his flank. Deco has been working on this in recent months. Something that, without being a priority, is being seriously considered, especially after the public offer that has reached Barça. It has been made by Alejandro Grimaldo, a Spanish international, whose "dream" is to return to Camp Nou.
Alejandro Grimaldo Offers His Return to Barça
In statements to "Sport", Grimaldo hasn't held back and has spoken about his future, which could involve his departure from Bayer Leverkusen. "In the end, I don't know what Xabi is going to do. It's a decision that concerns only him. As for me, I grew up in La Masia... It's the club where I grew as a player and as a person, and it's the one I dreamed of playing for since I was a child," he pointed out very forcefully.
Alejandro Grimaldo hasn't stopped there, adding: "I remember some interviews from when I was little where I already said that my dream was to reach Barça's first team, and that has always remained my dream."
In any case, the Spanish full-back also said: "It's something I don't want to get into because soccer takes many turns, and you never know what can happen. But it's clear, as I told you before, that I grew up in Can Barça, and in the end, when you've spent seven or eight years in La Masia, you always carry that with you. That's what I can tell you right now."
Alejandro Grimaldo and Balde, the Pair Barça Let Slip Away
At 29 years old, Alejandro Grimaldo is willing to return to his beloved Barcelona, where he was trained in its youth academy. He arrived in 2008 from Valencia's youth academy and ended up leaving in 2016, heading to Benfica. He did so as the reserve team captain and without having received opportunities in the first team, where Luis Enrique was sitting on the bench.
The decision for Alejandro Grimaldo's departure was made by Luis Enrique himself, seeing him as a bad influence on the other young players. In 2023, as his contract with Benfica was ending, the Spaniard offered his return to Barça for free, but they relied on the emergence of Balde and decided to reject this possibility.
Finally, Alejandro Grimaldo went to Leverkusen, and now, two years later, he is valued at 40M and has a contract until 2027. Despite his offer, it seems unlikely that Barça will decide to bring him back, especially considering the great season Balde is having.