Balde exit from Barcelona edges closer as Manchester United weigh left-back move

Alejandro Balde’s future at Barcelona is increasingly uncertain after the 22-year-old left-back was left out of Hansi Flick’s squad for Sunday’s 5-0 La Liga victory over Elche, with Manchester United among the clubs monitoring his situation ahead of the September 1 transfer deadline.

Flick’s post-match comments did little to dampen exit talk. “I spoke with Balde this morning,” the Barcelona manager said. “I told him he’s not 100 per cent, that it’s better for him to stay home. I asked him to think, reflect and clarify things and that we’ll talk tomorrow.” The remarks pointed to a player whose head may already be elsewhere.

Several factors are reportedly making Barcelona more open to a sale. Teenager Xavi Espart impressed at left-back in Balde’s absence on Sunday, while the return of Joao Cancelo — capable of playing on either flank — has given the club greater cover in the position. Balde has been a regular in the squad for four seasons, but the combination of squad depth and apparent unrest appears to be tipping the balance toward a departure.

United’s interest is driven by a genuine need. Luke Shaw remains the club’s only senior natural left-back, and manager Michael Carrick is understood to be seeking reinforcements in that area before the window closes.

Should Balde arrive at Old Trafford, he would find a familiar face in Marcus Rashford. The pair played together during Rashford’s loan spell at the Camp Nou last season, winning La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup. Balde had spoken warmly of the forward even before that stint. “One English player that I would like to be Spanish is Marcus Rashford,” he told ESPN in 2023. “Because he is a player who I like. I like his way of playing.”

Rashford, 28, is back in the United fold under Carrick and made his first competitive appearance for the club in 20 months on Saturday, though it came in a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Hull — a result that also drew criticism of Shaw’s performance at left-back and underlined the urgency of United’s recruitment in that position.