Lamine Yamal angered by Barcelona's treatment of Balde

Lamine Yamal is unhappy with Barcelona over the way the club has handled Alejandro Balde, his close friend and teammate. The winger was visibly down after Sunday’s match, with Balde’s exclusion and uncertain future understood to be behind his mood. Yamal is also angry that Balde feels pushed out of the club.

Balde was left out of Barcelona’s squad for the 5-0 win at Elche after a discussion with coach Hansi Flick. The German coach had judged that the left-back was not doing enough to reclaim his starting place and said Balde was not fully focused. The defender had already begun to lose his regular role during the second half of last season.

Barcelona will accept a suitable offer for Balde, despite his previous desire to remain at the club where he developed. Manchester United, Aston Villa and Benfica have been mentioned as possible destinations. The player’s camp has expressed its frustration publicly, adding to tensions with the club and Flick.

Balde’s position for Thursday’s match against Athletic at Camp Nou remains uncertain. Whatever happens in the transfer market, the dispute has already affected Yamal and risks leaving a lasting mark on relations inside the Barcelona squad.