The Catalan club, La Liga champions, have been active in the market, adding Aaron Gordon from Newcastle and Rodri from Manchester City for the 2024 season. Karim Adeyemi has also joined from Borussia Dortmund, while Joao Cancelo has returned to Barcelona as a free agent after leaving Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia.
There have been departures as well, including Ansu Fati, the La Masia graduate, who joined Monaco on a permanent deal, and Ferran Torres, who moved to Paris Saint-Germain for around €45 million. Goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has agreed to join Ajax on loan for the 2026/27 season after slipping down the pecking order due to injuries and form concerns.
Balde, the left-back who has attracted interest from Manchester United, initially appeared unlikely to leave. His agent, Jorge Mendes, was reported to have held discussions with Barca about several players, with Balde mentioned in those talks. However, Fabrizio Romano indicated that selling the 22-year-old would require a substantial fee, and Balde reportedly wants to remain in Spain.
Barcelona are also linked with a potential swap involving Inter Milan left-back Federico Dimarco. Spanish outlet SPORT claimed that Barca sporting director Deco has been plotting a final transfer maneuver to exchange Balde for Dimarco. Dimarco, 28, had a standout campaign with Inter, contributing seven goals and 18 assists from the left-back position as they clinched the Serie A title. He benefited from a full pre-season with Inter and started their opening victory of the season.
Inter are reportedly reluctant to part with a key player, but negotiations have intensified in recent days. If the swap goes through, it could impact Manchester United and potentially Aston Villa. United had previously approached Inter about signing their left-back Ian Maatsen, while Villa have maintained that Maatsen is not for sale and may offer a new contract instead. United, having already faced competition from Newcastle and Arsenal in the pursuit of left-sided defenders, could revisit options if a Dimarco–Balde swap emerged as a viable pathway.
Inter has already shown a willingness to sign players from the Premier League, bringing in Djed Spence and Curtis Jones from Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, respectively. Spence could cover for a Dimarco departure if needed.
Overall, the proposed swap would mark a bold move by Barcelona and could trigger a series of transfer developments across the top European leagues, with several clubs assessing their options in response to such a deal.
