Manchester United Explore Alejandro Balde Situation Amid Barça Interest
Manchester United have picked up the phone. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Premier League club have contacted super-agent Jorge Mendes to sound out the situation of FC Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde, as their search for a new option on the flank intensifies.
United have been scouring the market for a left-back and had Lewis Hall of Newcastle United on their list. That door has effectively been slammed shut by the Magpies, forcing the Old Trafford hierarchy to look elsewhere. Balde’s name has moved quickly onto the agenda.
United call Mendes over Balde
With other targets proving difficult, United have now turned to Mendes to understand two things: how secure Balde’s position is at Barcelona, and what kind of conditions would be involved in any potential deal for the La Masia product.
The timing is no coincidence. Mendes is in Barcelona today for a series of meetings, one of which concerns the future of Marc Casado, who is heading towards an exit from the Spotify Camp Nou. United’s enquiry drops right into the middle of that schedule.
Given United’s interest, Mendes is expected to raise Balde’s situation when he sits down with club president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco. It is the kind of conversation that can reshape a transfer window in a single afternoon.
Balde’s stance: Barça or nothing
There is, however, a major obstacle for United – the player himself.
Romano reports that Balde has no intention of leaving Barcelona this summer. The 22-year-old, a La Masia graduate and boyhood Barça fan, is settled and wants to fight for his place, even with competition ramping up on the left.
Joao Cancelo’s permanent arrival has crowded the full-back positions and sharpened the battle for minutes, but Balde is not backing away. For now, he is clear: he stays. The only scenario that could force a rethink is if Barcelona themselves tell him he is no longer in their plans.
So United wait. Mendes listens. Barça hold the cards.
With less than two weeks remaining before the transfer window closes, it remains a live story rather than a done one, but any move will have to overcome the defender’s firm stance.
Patchy pre-season, timely recovery
Balde’s summer has not been ideal. A back problem disrupted the early part of his pre-season and kept him off the pitch when others were building rhythm and fitness.
Once recovered, he began to claw back lost ground. He started in the friendly against FC Basel and again in the Joan Gamper Trophy win over Al-Ahly last night, important steps as he tries to lock down his role under the new-look squad structure.
His contract with the Catalan giants runs until 2028, another layer of security for Barcelona as they fend off interest.
All signs point to Balde starting against Elche this weekend, with Cancelo only just through the door. If Manchester United want to change that picture, they will need more than a phone call.
