Alejandro Balde's Future at Barcelona: Transfer Interest from Manchester United
Alejandro Balde’s Barcelona future has been thrown into sharp focus after the left-back was left out of Hansi Flick’s 21-man squad for Sunday night’s trip to Elche.
The Spaniard, one of the most notable omissions from the travelling party to Alicante, stayed behind just as Barcelona belatedly begin their LaLiga title defence a week later than most. His absence lands amid growing noise from England: Manchester United have moved him to the top of their list as they scramble for a new left-back before the window shuts on September 1.
Reports in recent days have detailed United’s increasing interest in the 22-year-old, with suggestions that the club have already opened talks with his agent, Jorge Mendes, to explore the framework of a possible deal. Mendes has been busy in Catalonia. According to reports in Spain, he met Barcelona to discuss two more of his clients, Balde and Marc Casado, during a visit initially aimed at finalising Joao Cancelo’s return to Camp Nou.
Flick is understood not to be pushing Balde towards the exit door. Even so, the defender’s omission from the Elche squad, grouped with fellow transfer candidates Casado and Hector Fort, hints at a club bracing for late movement. The message is subtle but clear: nothing is off the table in the final stretch of the market.
Spanish outlet Jijantes have gone further, claiming Balde himself now wants to leave Barcelona in these closing days of the window, with Mendes working to secure him a new destination.
If United get their way, that destination will be Old Trafford. The club have been scouring the market for a long-term successor to Luke Shaw, who turned 31 last month and has entered the final year of his contract. United can trigger a 12-month extension, but the search for the next first-choice left-back has already begun in earnest.
Lewis Hall was initially viewed as the ideal option. United had him at the top of their shortlist, only to run into a brick wall at Newcastle. Having already waved goodbye to Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon this summer, the Magpies have no appetite for another major departure and have resisted any approach. There has even been talk of a late push for Hall regardless, but with just over a week left in the window, that route looks all but closed.
So the radar has widened. RB Leipzig captain David Raum has been linked. So has Jorge Salinas of Racing Santander, though he is also on Atletico Madrid’s radar. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown has emerged as another name under consideration. Balde, though, is the one whose situation seems to be moving fastest.
United’s recruitment team have circled back to the left side of defence after ticking off a major midfield priority. The club have just wrapped up their third midfield signing of the summer, landing Brighton’s Carlos Baleba in a deal worth an initial £65million, with a further £5m in add-ons.
That investment underlines the scale of the rebuild Michael Carrick is trying to drive. The need for more reinforcements was brutally exposed on the opening day of the Premier League season, when United slumped to a 2-0 defeat away to newly-promoted Hull. It followed a flat end to pre-season, capped by a 4-2 loss to an AC Milan side coached by former United boss Ruben Amorim.
The midfield has now been addressed. The question is whether United can solve the left-back issue with the same conviction — and whether Balde’s Barcelona exile is the opening they have been waiting for.
