Manchester United Pursue Brest Defender Bradley Locko for Left-Back
Manchester United’s hunt for a left-back is heading into the final stretch of the window, and a new name has stepped firmly into view: Brest defender Bradley Locko.
With the deadline looming next week, United are pushing to bring in cover and competition on the left side of defence. The club have looked at high-profile options, but cost is biting hard.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that United sounded out Barcelona over Alejandro Balde. The 20-year-old is one of Europe’s most coveted young full-backs, yet the numbers involved quickly cooled United’s interest. After talks with agent Jorge Mendes about a potential deal, INEOS judged both the fee and the salary to be too steep.
Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, outlined the situation bluntly. United, he said, “are still looking for a solution at left-back” and are working to add a player in that position before the window shuts. A marquee name like Balde is unlikely; instead, the club are targeting what he called “almost a guarantee” – a solid, proven defender rather than a headline act.
He compared the profile to the 2023 loan move for Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham. Not necessarily the same type of full-back, but the same kind of deal: an experienced player with an international profile who can slot in quickly and raise the level of competition.
The pressure to get this right is clear. Romano expects United to sign a left-back before the deadline, and the club are actively exploring multiple options.
Bradley Locko
One of those is now Bradley Locko.
The Brest defender, 24, has emerged as a realistic candidate in the final days of the summer window. Journalist Dylan McBennett reported on X that Locko would be open to joining United if the Premier League side firm up their interest.
“If United are looking for ‘solutions’ at left-back, Bradley Locko among names that would be open to joining the club before the transfer deadline,” McBennett posted at 8:59am on August 28, adding that the Frenchman is one of “numerous left-backs with desire to join United this summer.”
Locko has been with Brest since 2023 and is under contract with the Ligue 1 club until 2027. He has made 67 appearances in all competitions, contributing five assists from left-back – numbers that underline his ability to support attacks as well as defend his flank.
He is not the superstar name some United fans may have dreamed of when Balde’s was first mentioned. But as the clock ticks down and the market tightens, a willing, ready-made option like Locko could be exactly the sort of pragmatic move United end up making.
