Manchester United Target Alejandro Balde Amid Transfer Speculation

Alejandro Balde’s Barcelona omission has thrown fresh fuel on Manchester United’s late-window hunt for a new left-back.

The Spaniard was one of the standout absentees from Hansi Flick’s 21-man squad for Sunday night’s clash with Elche in Alicante, a decision that lands right in the middle of growing speculation over his future.

United have zeroed in on Balde as a leading candidate to succeed Luke Shaw on the left side of defence, with the club pushing to get a deal done before the transfer window closes on September 1. Reports in recent days have detailed United’s increasing interest, including claims that they have already opened talks with his agent, Jorge Mendes, to explore the framework of a possible move.

Mendes has been busy in Catalonia. On Friday, Spanish reports relayed by Sport Witness stated that he had met Barcelona to discuss two more of his clients, Balde and Marc Casado, during a trip initially aimed at finalising Joao Cancelo’s return to the Camp Nou. The visit has only intensified the sense that something is moving.

Publicly, the line around Flick is clear: he does not want to lose Balde. Privately, the weekend team sheet told a different story. The 22-year-old’s exclusion from the travelling party to Elche – along with fellow transfer-linked youngsters Casado and Hector Fort – leaves the door wide open for United, who will see that decision as encouragement rather than coincidence.

Spanish outlet Jijantes have also reported that Balde himself wants to leave Barcelona in the final days of the window, with Mendes now working to secure him a new club. That stance, if maintained, would put serious pressure on Barça’s resolve as the deadline looms.

At Old Trafford, the need is obvious. Shaw turned 31 last month and has entered the final year of his contract, even though United can trigger a 12-month extension. The club want a long-term successor in place rather than drift into another short-term fix.

For much of the summer, Lewis Hall sat at the top of United’s shortlist. That route has effectively been blocked. Newcastle, already dealing with the departures of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon in a turbulent window, are in no mood to sign off on another major exit. There have even been whispers of a late, ambitious push for Hall regardless, but with just over a week left in the market, that kind of deal looks almost impossible to pull off.

So the search has widened. RB Leipzig captain David Raum has been mentioned. So has Jorge Salinas of Racing Santander, who is also on Atletico Madrid’s radar. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown has been flagged as another possible option. All are being tracked. None, at this stage, feel as live as Balde.

United’s renewed urgency on the left comes after they finally landed their third midfield signing of the summer, sealing a move for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba worth an initial £65million plus £5m in add-ons. That deal ticks off one major item on Michael Carrick’s to-do list. The rest of the squad, though, has offered a brutal reminder that more work is required.

The Premier League opener underlined it. United went to newly-promoted Hull and lost 2-0, a flat, disjointed display that followed a worrying end to pre-season, capped by a 4-2 defeat to an AC Milan side managed by former United boss Ruben Amorim. The performance in Hull did not just hint at problems. It screamed them.

Now the clock is ticking. Balde is out of Flick’s squad, Mendes is in motion, and United are staring at a decisive week. If they are serious about reshaping the left side of their defence for the next decade, this is the moment to prove it.