United, Liverpool and Milan in €45m Balde battle

Manchester United, Liverpool and AC Milan are locked in a €45 million bidding war for Barcelona left‑back Alejandro Balde, a move that would see him head to Old Trafford in January.

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick and AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim have both been linked to the pursuit. United had tried to sign Balde from Barcelona during the summer window. Balde’s reluctance to leave meant co‑owner INEOS could not finalise a deal.

United remain eager to acquire the 23‑year‑old, a three‑time LaLiga champion with Barcelona. Barcelona boss Hansi Flick does not rate Balde, who this season has made only three substitute appearances in LaLiga and one in the Champions League. Spanish journalist Juan Jesus, who boasts over 25,000 followers on X, reported in late October that United were planning a January raid on Barcelona.

INEOS pressure mounts as United eye Balde amid managerial uncertainty

Why United and rivals want Balde

On 30 October at 8:16 pm Jesus wrote that despite injuries to Espart, Kounde and Eric García, Flick is not counting on Balde, the player is on the transfer list and the door is open for a winter exit, adding that Balde feels sidelined and is going through a tough time. The following day at 7:15 pm Jesus said the relationship between Flick and Balde is “completely broken and glacial”, that Balde is relegated to secondary roles in training and his entourage now sees a January departure as the best option, and that United are “100 % after the player and are going all out to close his signing this very winter”.

Jesus later claimed that Liverpool and AC Milan, who appointed former United manager Ruben Amorim as their boss in the summer of 2026, have also entered the bidding war for Balde, whose price is set at €45 million. On 2 November at 8:13 am Jesus posted that both Liverpool and Milan are going all out for Balde, with Andoni Iraola and Ruben Amorim each believing he would fit perfectly into their systems. Barcelona have stipulated a minimum asking price of €45 million for the left‑back, a figure that was also noted in the READ section of the report.

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