Alejandro Balde's Struggles at Barcelona Amid Manchester United Interest
Alejandro Balde’s Barcelona season has stalled before it even started – and Manchester United will be watching closely.
The 22-year-old, heavily linked with a loan move to Old Trafford late in the summer window, has not played a single minute for Barcelona this campaign. He was an unused substitute again in their Champions League opener, a 5-1 demolition of Feyenoord, as Hansi Flick sent out Joao Cancelo at left-back instead of using the natural option sitting on his bench.
That decision was no one-off. Since United’s attempt to prise Balde away on loan, Flick has kept the Spain international on the fringes. Balde has made every matchday squad but has not stepped onto the pitch in any competition, a clear signal of where he currently stands in the pecking order at the Camp Nou.
Flick has been blunt about what he expects. The Barcelona boss recently challenged the defender’s attitude, stressing that Balde must show more commitment and fight for his place if he wants to play.
Before the transfer window closed, Balde was not even in the squad for Barca’s opening La Liga win over Elche. Flick later explained that omission, revealing a candid conversation between the pair.
“No, I'm not asking him to leave,” Flick said at the time. “This morning I felt there was something wrong. I spoke to him and said: 'At this moment, I have this feeling, and I think it's best for you to clear your mind, sort out your thoughts, and then we'll talk again tomorrow.'
“And he agreed as well. He agreed to it because there are so many things going around in his head, and that's why he's not here.”
Balde has since been reintegrated into the group, but only in name. His role has been reduced to that of a spectator in a tracksuit, watching others take his minutes while his future drifts into question.
The situation is striking when viewed from Manchester. Michael Carrick goes into United’s Champions League clash with Sabah with just one established senior left-back: Luke Shaw.
If Shaw suffers an injury, the reshuffle would be awkward at best. Lisandro Martinez could be dragged out to left-back, weakening the centre of defence, or one of Noussair Mazraoui or Diogo Dalot would have to flip to the opposite flank. None of those options is ideal for a side trying to build stability at the back.
Carrick may get a glimpse of life without Shaw sooner than he would like. The England defender did not take part in training ahead of the Sabah tie at Old Trafford, and the United manager admitted he is likely to sit this one out to protect him for the looming Manchester Derby at the weekend.
“We just gave him an extra recovery day today. We'll see by tomorrow how he is,” Carrick said when asked about Shaw’s absence. “It's not an ongoing thing or a plan or anything like that. It was just off the back of the game the other day. So, as normal, each individual has different little things that we manage.”
United’s left-back situation is fragile. Barcelona are freezing out a player who fits that role perfectly. If Balde’s exile continues and Shaw’s workload grows, the question almost asks itself: how long before those two stories collide again in the next transfer window?
