Balde accepts he must leave Barcelona, with Man United leading £33m pursuit

Alejandro Balde has accepted he must leave Barcelona to revive his career, with Manchester United emerging as the frontrunners to sign the 23-year-old left-back in the January transfer window, according to reports in Spain.

The Spanish international has started none of Barcelona’s games this season, managing just 116 minutes across four substitute appearances. Joao Cancelo, Brian Farinas and Xavi Espart have all been preferred ahead of him, leaving Balde on the fringes despite the praise of head coach Hansi Flick.

“It’s normal for a player to lose confidence when he’s not playing, but Balde is doing a great job in every training session,” Flick said earlier this month. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for Balde and I try to help him regain confidence in himself. He’s trying to get back to his best level and I’m happy for him.”

Despite those encouraging words, Mundo Deportivo reports that Balde has privately concluded that a departure is necessary if he wants consistent playing time. The report notes that United are interested but that other Premier League clubs could yet enter the race — a prospect that appeals to Balde, who has played his entire career in Spain and is drawn to the idea of English football.

Barcelona value the left-back at over £33.4 million (€40m) and are open to a permanent sale in January, per Sport. The club will not sanction a loan, as they are looking to raise funds mid-season to strengthen their own squad.

Balde was among several left-backs linked to United over the summer, alongside Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall and Club Brugge’s Joaquin Seys. The need for defensive reinforcement at Old Trafford has grown more urgent since: first-choice left-back Luke Shaw remains injured, and Patrick Dorgu has been absent since the September-October international break.

United have not won a match since football resumed after that break, with manager Michael Carrick facing mounting pressure. The club have scored just one goal and conceded nine across their last three fixtures, and face AS Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday before hosting Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.