Barcelona confident of sealing the renewals of two La Masia graduates, talks in final stages

In a positive update for Barcelona fans, reliable transfer expert Fabrizio Romano is reporting that the club are confident of completing the contract renewals of La Masia duo Alejandro Balde and Inaki Pena very soon, with talks in the final stages.

Barcelona have had their hands tied in the transfer market due to their Financial Fair Play problems. It has also restricted them from registering the first-team contracts of Gavi and Ronald Araujo, while also hindering talks of renewals with Balde and Pena.

Balde’s current contract with the Catalans expires in 2024, meaning he will be entering the final year of his deal in the summer – a situation that the club are keen on avoiding, especially with several Premier League clubs keeping an eye on the 19-year-old full-back.

Talks over an extension have been ongoing with the youngster’s agent, Jorge Mendes, for a while now, with Balde likely to sign a contract until 2027. And Romano is now reporting that the negotiations are in the final stages and a new deal could be closed very soon.

The journalist adds that Barcelona have been treating Balde’s renewal as a major priority as he is seen as a key player at the club for the present and the future. And they are now in the last stages of securing his long-term future at the club.

As for Pena, the 23-year-old goalkeeper’s situation is of greater concern for the club as his deal stands to run out at the end of the ongoing season itself.

However, negotiations with the Spaniard have been going on smoothly as he is keen to continue at Camp Nou despite his game-time. Previous reports have suggested that the La Masia ace will renew until 2026, with Romano now confirming that the deal could be sealed soon.

While Barcelona will reach agreements over new contract with both Balde and Pena, their registration with La Liga will likely remain on hold until they can generate some Fair Play margin with player exits.