Manchester United Explore Alejandro Balde Transfer but Player Stays Loyal to Barcelona
Manchester United have picked up the phone. On the other end: Jorge Mendes, the super-agent at the heart of half of Europe’s biggest moves. The subject: Alejandro Balde.
With the clock ticking on the transfer window and their search for a left-back growing more urgent, United have turned their attention to the 22-year-old Barcelona defender, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Premier League club have been scouring the market, with Newcastle’s Lewis Hall among the names on their list, but that avenue has effectively been shut down by the Magpies.
So United have moved on. And they’ve moved big.
United call Mendes over Balde
The club have contacted Mendes to ask about Balde’s situation at Barcelona and to understand what it would take to prise the La Masia product away from Catalonia. It’s exploratory, but it’s serious: conditions, feasibility, potential price – all on the table.
The timing is no coincidence. Mendes arrived in Barcelona today for a series of meetings, one of which concerns the future of Marc Casado, who is heading towards the exit at the Spotify Camp Nou. With United’s interest now clear, Balde’s name is expected to come up when Mendes sits down with president Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco.
The pressure is there. The opportunity, too. A giant of English football looking for a long-term left-back solution, sensing a potential opening.
But there’s a problem for United.
Balde’s stance: Barcelona or nothing
Balde does not want to leave.
Romano reports that the left-back has no intention of walking away from his boyhood club this summer. He grew up at La Masia, broke through at Barcelona, and remains committed to fighting for his place, even with competition intensifying.
Joao Cancelo’s permanent arrival has sharpened that battle for minutes on the left flank. For some players, that might be a cue to look elsewhere. Balde sees it differently. He is happy at Barça, ready to compete, and not actively considering a move.
The only scenario that would make him rethink, as it stands, is if Barcelona themselves told him he needed to go. Until then, his position is clear: he stays.
So United can ask, Mendes can negotiate, Barcelona can listen – but the player’s will is a major obstacle.
With less than two weeks left in the window, this remains a live story, but one with a firm line drawn by the defender.
A disrupted summer, a starting spot in sight
Balde’s pre-season has not been ideal. A back issue sidelined him at the start of the summer and stalled his rhythm at a time when many players are trying to impress and lock down their roles.
Once fit, he began to claw those minutes back. He started in the friendly against FC Basel and then again in the Joan Gamper Trophy against Al-Ahly, a sign that the coaching staff still see him as a key piece for the campaign ahead.
His contract with Barcelona runs until 2028. That long-term deal underlines how the club view him: not as a saleable asset to cash in on quickly, but as a cornerstone of their future back line.
And with Cancelo only just arriving this week, Balde is expected to start against Elche this weekend. For all the noise around his name, his reality is simple – another match, another chance to tighten his grip on that left side.
Manchester United have made their move. Barcelona will listen to Mendes. But unless the club change their message to the player, Balde’s answer is already on the table.
