Alejandro Balde has renewed his contract with Barcelona according to Mundo Deportivo. The youngster has signed a deal that will run until 2024 with a release clause of €500m included.
Balde signed the deal at Camp Nou in a presentation attended by Joan Laporta, Rafael Yuste, Joan Soler and Jose Ramon Alexanco, as well as his agent Jorge Mendes.
Barcelona first offered the Spanish-Dominican left-back a five-year deal before agreeing on a three-year option, although Balde ceded ground by adjusting his salary to meet Barcelona’s needs.
“Barcelona is my second home and both me and my family wanted to stay here,” Balde said. “I’m very happy. I’ve been at this club for eleven years and every day I’ve been working for days like these to arrive.
“This is a dream for me. On Wednesday I made my debut with the first team, something I’ve been wanting to do since childhood, and today I renew a professional contract.
“I’m aware I’m a Barcelona B player. I’m going step-by-step, you don’t have to rush things. I’ll work to have opportunities with the first team and if not I’ll continue working as I’ve always done.”
Balde arrived at Barcelona back in 2011 from Espanyol, signed when he was just eight. He debuted with Javier Garcia Pimienta’s Barcelona B last season and played 16 games, starting eleven.
He made his first team debut in a friendly against Gimnastic this week, a game Barcelona won 4-0, and has been training with the first team throughout pre-season.
Balde is in a different position to contemporary Ilaix Moriba, who’s currently in a contract stand-off with Barcelona and looks like he could leave for the Premier League.
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