Sport: Barcelona consider selling Balde in January for €40 million

According to Sport, Barcelona have already begun preparing for the winter transfer window and are looking for defensive reinforcements. The club hopes these signings will give the team more options in the second half of the season, with Flick and the sporting management both aiming to bring in a center-back or a versatile defender.

However, for this deal to materialize, a player may first have to leave the squad. The club has put Balde on its list of potential departures.

According to the Spanish newspaper Sport, Balde's role has diminished under Flick, and he has failed to earn more playing time despite the team's injury crisis. As a result, Barcelona are not opposed to the left-back leaving in January.

Balde came close to leaving last summer but chose to stay in the hope of reclaiming his place. As he continues to fall out of favor, the likelihood of his departure is growing.

Barcelona prefer to sell the player outright and hope to receive a transfer fee of at least €40 million, citing his youth and the strong demand for left-backs in the transfer market.

The club has also told the player's agent, Jorge Mendes, that a permanent transfer is their first choice. They would also accept a loan with a mandatory purchase clause at the end of the season.

Jorge Mendes is currently exploring options for his client and has contacted clubs in Italy, England and Germany, but none of this interest has yet turned into formal offers.

Barcelona are waiting for Balde to agree to leave. The club believes that settling his future early will speed up negotiations and allow the team to finalize its plans for the winter transfer window.

In Italy, Juventus and Roma are the two most prominent clubs interested in the player. However, their approaches are based on loan deals, and neither has clearly committed to submitting a permanent offer at Barcelona's asking price, especially since Balde's wages could be a burden for Serie A clubs.

English clubs, on the other hand, appear better placed to meet Barcelona's financial demands, as Manchester United and Chelsea have both shown interest in the player's situation.

Manchester United are looking for solutions at left-back because of physical problems affecting Luke Shaw and Patrick Dorgu, while Chelsea are considering strengthening their left flank, where there have been recent changes.

Barcelona hope that selling Balde will provide the funds needed to sign a new defender, which would give Flick more options in defense and help the club keep Kounde as part of their defensive plans.