Manchester United weigh €40m move for Balde as Inter circle Barcelona left-back

Manchester United have identified Alejandro Balde as their primary left-back target this summer, with the Premier League club reportedly ready to test Barcelona’s resolve with a €40 million (£33.5m) offer — a figure Mundo Deportivo suggest will fall below what the Catalan club actually want for the 22-year-old.

Balde is contracted at Camp Nou until 2028 and carries a symbolic €1 billion release clause, giving Barcelona considerable leverage and no urgent reason to sell. United’s interest nonetheless reflects how seriously the club views the position as a structural weakness, with inconsistency and fitness problems at left-back having persisted across several seasons at Old Trafford.

The move will not go uncontested. Inter Milan are also monitoring Balde, and their track record in the transfer market means United’s recruitment staff cannot afford to move slowly once the summer window opens. A formal bid is not expected until the window is confirmed and United’s budget is finalised.

Adding an unusual dimension to the pursuit is United’s separate ongoing dialogue with Barcelona over Marcus Rashford’s loan spell in Catalonia. Making that arrangement permanent requires a significant outlay, and there is speculation that a reciprocal structure — with Balde heading to Manchester as part of a broader financial settlement between the two clubs — could emerge as a creative solution.

On Barcelona’s side, head coach Hansi Flick has flagged the full-back positions as areas lacking depth and consistency, and Balde’s place is no longer considered untouchable. His deputy Gerard Martin has already attracted interest from AC Milan, suggesting movement in that area of the squad is possible regardless of what happens with Balde himself.

Club officials in Spain still rate Balde’s ceiling highly, and Flick’s staff are hopeful that a strong end to the season will reinforce his status as a long-term asset rather than a saleable one. How Balde performs between now and the final whistle of the campaign may ultimately determine whether Barcelona treat any incoming offer as worth serious consideration.