United eye Balde as Shaw cover remains thin

Manchester United are desperate for a left‑back after Luke Shaw has missed eight league games this season, and with their summer target Lewis Hall unavailable they have turned to Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde, a player Fabrizio Romano says could leave the club in January.

Man Utd made an approach for Balde in the summer after learning Hall would not be signable, but no agreement was reached and the club ultimately decided against adding new cover for Shaw.

United's left‑back dilemma

The Red Devils hope to rectify the shortage in the January window, still eyeing Hall despite Newcastle United securing the 22‑year‑old on a new contract.

Balde has slipped down Hansi Flick’s pecking order at Barcelona and is seeking regular minutes, making him a concrete Plan B for United.

“The situation that is getting more complicated is the situation of Alejandro Balde. Balde, in the summer, was a potential exit. Barcelona wanted Balde to go in the summer in case of a good proposal, but Balde wanted to stay and fight for his place. There was no agreement with any club, also because Barca were not letting Balde go on loan or on an easy deal in the summer, it had to be an important proposal. Now it’s November, Balde is almost never playing, really limited minutes. So this could be a situation to watch in January in case of a good proposal, in case of a good opportunity. It’s not the best year for Balde, and this is why his future has to be discussed. But everything will depend on the player, because the player in the summer didn’t want to leave.” – Fabrizio Romano

Bidding war and possible deals

Spanish reporter Juan Jesus wrote that Liverpool and AC Milan have also entered the race, joining United in a three‑club bidding war for the 23‑year‑old.

Both Andoni Iraola and Ruben Amorim are said to be fans of Balde, believing he would fit perfectly into their respective systems.

Barcelona have set a minimum price of 45 million euros (£37.5 million) for the left‑back, and Jesus claimed United are ‘going all out’ after learning Balde’s relationship with Flick is completely broken.

It has been suggested Balde could be involved in a swap deal with Lisandro Martinez, with Barcelona reportedly interested in the United defender.

In a separate report, Marcus Rashford could quit United on one condition, adding further pressure on the club’s transfer plans.