At a glance
- Reports from Catalonia relay heavy interest from Manchester United in FC Barcelona left back Alejandro Balde.
- Barca need player sales to fund their own potential transfers.
- With Joao Cancelo around, Balde has been demoted to a secondary role. Yet the Portuguese loanee’s future is also unclear.
Manchester United are ready to test FC Barcelona’s resolve when it comes to Alejandro Balde according to SPORT.
The Catalans need sales, and they wouldn’t object to the right kind of offer which has triggered debate among Barcelonismo.
Barca will not force any exit of their La Masia graduate. But nobody behind the scenes at the Spotify Camp Nou denies the fact that a proposal of more than €50 million would be much welcomed.
That would come at a time when Barcelona are looking for a striker, central defender and left winger. Julian Alvarez and Alessandro Bastoni are the preferred choices in those first two positions, and could cost a combined €200 million.
As is often seen, agent Jorge Mendes will be a key figure in negotiations as Balde’s agent and that of other players such as Marc Casado.
Should Barcelona sell Balde to Manchester United?
Like many things in Can Barca, the answer isn’t straightforward. In past seasons, Balde was an “untouchable” as a lack of cover at left back would’ve made it a straight “no”.
When Balde suffered an injury in early 2026, however, he lost his starting slot to a much improved Joao Cancelo.
The Portuguese offers Hansi Flick more at the moment, though his future is unclear. As reported by ReadBarcelona this week, he could stay at Al-Hilal after all if Simeone Inzaghi wants him next season.
If not, the 31-year-old could be subjected to a bidding war where Barca will compete with other European rivals for a player previously thought to cost just €15 million.
Selling Balde ultimately depends on what happens with Cancelo and how high the United offer is. If the number 2 becomes a permanent squad member and the Red Devils table more than €50 million, Joan Laporta should strongly consider a pure profit sale.
