Alejandro Balde's Absence Fuels Manchester United's Left-Back Search
Alejandro Balde’s Barcelona absence has thrown fresh fuel on Manchester United’s late-window search for a new left-back.
The 22-year-old was one of the standout omissions from Hansi Flick’s 21-man squad for Sunday night’s clash with Elche in Alicante, missing out as Barça finally begin their delayed LaLiga title defence. For a player widely tipped to be part of Flick’s core, it was a conspicuous gap.
And it comes at a time when United’s interest in Balde has accelerated.
United circle as Balde sits out
United have been linked with several options on the left side of defence, but recent days have seen Balde pushed to the front of their shortlist. Reports suggest the Premier League club have already opened talks with his agent, Jorge Mendes, to explore the framework of a possible deal before the window closes on September 1.
Mendes has been busy in Catalonia. According to reports in Spain, he travelled to Barcelona primarily to tie up Joao Cancelo’s return to Camp Nou, but also held discussions over two more of his clients: Balde and Marc Casado. That wider conversation has only sharpened the sense that something is moving behind the scenes.
Publicly, the line is that Flick does not want to lose Balde. Privately, the team sheet told its own story. Balde was left out of the travelling group to Elche, just like Casado and Hector Fort – both also viewed as potential departures before the deadline. For a club needing sales and a player drawing serious Premier League interest, the optics are hard to ignore.
Spanish outlet Jijantes have gone further, reporting that Balde himself now wants to leave Barcelona in the final days of the window, with Mendes working to secure him a new destination.
Shaw succession plan drives United’s push
United’s need is clear. Luke Shaw turned 31 last month and is entering the final year of his contract at Old Trafford. The club hold an option to extend that deal by a further 12 months, but the search for a long-term successor has already begun.
Lewis Hall had been viewed as the preferred option, only for Newcastle to slam the door on any serious approach. After already losing Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon this summer, the Tyneside club have no appetite for another major exit. Talk of a late United bid for Hall has lingered in the background, but with just over a week left in the window, that move looks close to impossible.
So the shortlist has widened. RB Leipzig captain David Raum has been mentioned. So has Jorge Salinas of Racing Santander, who is also attracting interest from Atletico Madrid. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Nathaniel Brown is another name in the frame.
Yet it is Balde who now feels like the live wire in this story – young, proven at elite level, and suddenly on the outside of Flick’s matchday plans.
Carrick’s warning shot on opening day
United’s urgency has been shaped by what happened on the pitch as much as off it. Michael Carrick finally secured his third midfield signing of the summer with the capture of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba in a deal worth an initial £65m plus a further £5m in add-ons. That box is ticked.
But the first day of the new Premier League season exposed other problems.
Carrick watched his side slump to a dismal 2-0 defeat away to newly-promoted Hull, a flat, lifeless performance that followed a worrying end to pre-season, including a 4-2 loss to an AC Milan side coached by former United boss Ruben Amorim. The left flank, like several other areas, looked fragile and short of authority.
The message was brutal and simple: this squad is not ready.
So United have turned back to the market, back to the left side of their defence, and back to a player who, only a few months ago, looked like a cornerstone of Barcelona’s future.
Balde is out of Flick’s travelling squad. Mendes is in Barcelona. United are calling. With the clock ticking towards September 1, how long can Barça hold their nerve?
