AS Roma freeze pursuit of out-of-favour Barcelona defender to prioritise other operations – report

According to Italian publication Il Messaggero (h/t Mundo Deportivo), AS Roma have put their interest in Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde on hold.

Instead, the Giallorossi manager Gian Piero Gasperini has instructed the club to focus their January transfer budget on strengthening the attack.

Balde staring at a January exit

Balde has fallen down the pecking order at Barça this season, with manager Hansi Flick preferring Xavi Espart and Joao Cancelo ahead of him in the left-back position.

As a result, the La Masia graduate has played only 124 minutes across five matches in all competitions so far in 2026/27.

It has sparked concerns over his long-term future at the Spotify Camp Nou, with a January departure seen as extremely likely.

The 23-year-old left-back was tipped for a departure during the summer as well, but decided to stay and fight for his place. However, this time around, he is understood to be more open to a departure.

AS Roma hold interest in Balde

AS Roma have been monitoring Balde’s situation at Barcelona for quite some time now and weighing up a move in January, either on loan or permanently.

The defender’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has received approaches from the Giallorossi along with their Serie A rivals Juventus.

However, now, it appears that the Italian capital club have pivoted from their original plans and pressed pause on their pursuit of Balde.

Indeed, as per the report, Roma manager Gasperini has asked the club to divert their efforts and finances completely towards strengthening the team’s attacking unit rather than the left side of the defence.

The Serie A giants are targeting two attacking additions, with Real Madrid’s Endrick and Atletico Madrid’s Ademola Lookman emerging as potential targets.

As such, their pursuit of Balde is now at a standstill, with the report even suggesting that Roma could completely abandon their plans to rope in the Barcelona defender in January.

Balde, though, continues to attract interest from the Premier League, where Manchester United, in particular, continue to be linked with the left-back.

However, whether their managerial situation affects the situation remains to be seen.