Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim made his first signing since taking over the reigns from Erik ten Hag last year with Patrick Dorgu’s purchase from Lecce in the winter. The young left back has settled in well at Old Trafford and played his first few minutes, making a good first impression in the process.
Though he is expected to start regularly until the end of the campaign, United’s search for a left back might not have ended with Dorgu’s purchase. Caught Offside (citing Spanish outlet Fichajes) has claimed that the Red Devils are pondering over a swoop for Barcelona prodigy Alejandro Balde in the summer after his superb couple of years in La Liga.
Balde has become an indispensable part of Hansi Flick’s plans, having played 31 matches for Barcelona already this season. The 21-year-old could yet be available for £42 million in the summer, it is believed, as the Blaugrana look to overcome their financial turbulence which has prevented them from registering players in recent months.
Balde unlikely to move to United
For a player plying his trade for the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid, for example, Manchester United is no longer a step up or even on the same wavelength for that matter. They have failed to compete for titles in England over recent years and for 2025/26 as well, Champions League qualification is looking like a distant scenario, which most targets will consider as a dealbreaker.
Alejandro Balde, particularly, has no good reason to leave Barcelona as he is playing regular minutes for his boyhood club whilst being firmly in the race for La Liga alongside being a contender for the Champions League this season. Under Hansi Flick, the Catalans have been in seriously good form and are slowly becoming the pinnacle of football like they were some years ago.
While it is difficult to see United getting their hands on Balde, their interest in a new left back might continue into the summer and at the same time, it could signal that Luke Shaw’s time at the club is also reaching an end.
