25 Sept 2026 11:05 BST |
2 min read
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Manchester United have been offered the chance to sign Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde but face potential competition from Liverpool and Chelsea for the player.
United were tipped to land a left-back in the summer but ultimately opted to prioritise new faces in midfield, where they signed Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba.
The Red Devils have been left short of options to support Luke Shaw and so could potentially look to take Barcelona up on their offer to sign Balde, who was a player that Michael Carrick wanted to bring to the club in the summer.
Barcelona put Balde on the market
Barcelona are ready to sell left-back Alejandro Balde during the January transfer window and have taken steps to contact clubs they believe might be interested in the player, The Daily Briefing reports.
Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have all been approached via intermediaries.
All three Premier League clubs have been linked with a move for Balde in the recent past, while he could be an attractive option for each in January.
The Catalan side have put a €40 million asking price on the head of the player, according to reports from Sport.
This makes the 22-year-old an interesting market opportunity given that he has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €43.2m. Any deal is, therefore, set below his true valuation.
Why are Barcelona selling for €40m?
Barcelona’s motivation for selling Balde is likely to be driven by the tight margins the club is running at financially at present.
The Blaugrana ran a transfer deficit of around €80m in the summer, despite failing to land their big target in Julian Alvarez. A battle to comply with Spain’s stringent Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions is ongoing, particularly with the ongoing work at Camp Nou set to force them back to the Olympic Stadium next season.
Balde is not currently in the first-team picture under Hansi Flick, having only made one 13-minute appearance as a substitute so far this season. He is therefore considered to be a player who is both expendable and bankable, making him a logical choice to leave midway through the season.
Liverpool emerge as Balde’s best fit
Liverpool are the optimal club for Balde, according to data analytics experts SciSports, which rank the Anfield outfit as the best transfer option for the young full-back via its Career Advice algorithm, which gives each side a Club Fit score based on various factors, including potential development, game time, playing style and formation.
Iraola’s side score a very healthy 78, which is far above the 62 of Manchester United or the 58 at Chelsea.
The Reds are seen as a better fit for Balde in terms of his playing time and Iraola’s system, which is most likely to unlock the defender’s best form.
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