AC Milan and Amorim join United in race for Barcelona's Balde as £38m left-back battle takes shape

Manchester United’s long-running interest in Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde faces fresh competition after AC Milan, led by former United manager Ruben Amorim, reportedly entered the race ahead of the January transfer window.

United have been linked with the Spain international since the summer, when they failed to agree a deal and Balde remained at Camp Nou. Barcelona are said to value the 21-year-old at around €45 million (£38.6m), a figure set during the summer window that may or may not hold in January.

According to journalist Ekrem Konur, Milan have now expressed a concrete interest in Balde and are preparing to move when the window opens. Amorim, who left Old Trafford earlier this year, is said to be driving the push after identifying left-back as a priority position to strengthen at the San Siro.

A separate report from Konur also suggests Balde is edging closer to a Camp Nou exit, with the defender no longer considered a key part of Hansi Flick’s plans at Barcelona. United are listed among the clubs still in contention alongside Chelsea, Liverpool, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Milan, making this one of the more crowded pursuits of the January window.

The timing is awkward for United. Tyrell Malacia departed as a free agent at the start of the summer, leaving Luke Shaw and Patrick Dorgu as the only senior left-back options in Rúben Amorim’s current squad — though Noussair Mazraoui can also operate in the position. Both Dorgu and Mazraoui have since emerged as injury concerns: Dorgu was withdrawn from Denmark’s Nations League win over Wales during the international break with a suspected fitness issue, while Mazraoui was substituted during a Morocco fixture earlier this week.

With the January window still weeks away and United’s left-back depth already stretched, the club’s need for reinforcement in the position is clear. Whether they can fend off Milan and a crowded field of European rivals for Balde’s signature is another matter.