Manchester United renew interest in Barcelona full-back for summer 2026

Manchester United are preparing for what could be one of the most consequential summer transfer windows in recent memory.

Champions League qualification is now within reach under Michael Carrick, the squad rebuild is unmistakably underway, and the priority area is clearly their midfield.

Sandro Tonali sits at the top of the list, with Elliot Anderson, Carlos Baleba and others tracked alongside him as United look to replace both Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte in a single window.

But the rebuild does not stop in the engine room, as it also looks to stretch to the back line.

Tyrell Malacia will leave Old Trafford on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of June, ending a spell that never recovered after the knee injury that wiped out his 2023/24 season.

Luke Shaw, still the senior left-back on paper, has enjoyed a healthier run of form under Carrick but the broader picture has not changed.

He turns 31 in July and his recent injury history makes it impossible to plan another season around him as a guaranteed starter.

Diogo Dalot has covered the position when asked but is a right-back by trade, and Patrick Dorgu has been used predominantly higher up the pitch as a wing-back rather than as a pure left-back option.

The conclusion is straightforward that United need a new left-back, and they need one capable of starting from day one.

Now, in a bid to solve the issue, Spanish publication Sport has reported that United have renewed their interest in Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde, and that the Catalan club would not stand in the way of a sale if the right offer arrived.

Manchester United renew interest in Alejandro Balde

The 22-year-old’s situation at Camp Nou has shifted significantly this season. Once viewed as the long-term successor to Jordi Alba and a fixture in Hansi Flick’s plans, Balde has lost his grip on the left-back position.

Joao Cancelo has nailed down the starting role and Barcelona are actively scouting further reinforcements at the position.

Balde’s contract runs to 2028, which gives Barcelona leverage on a fee, but the club’s wider financial reality is what makes the situation move.

It’s understood that Barcelona need outgoing transfers to balance their summer plans, with significant incoming targets, a centre-back and a top-tier number nine among them, requiring funds.

As such, Balde and Jules Koundé are both identified as players for whom the club would listen if a serious offer arrived, with the Spanish outlet pointing to a fee in excess of £43 million (€50 million) as the threshold that would interest the hierarchy.

However, United have been here before with Balde, as interest dates back further than this latest renewal, but the conditions now align in a way they previously did not.

Barcelona are not actively pushing him out, but they are not protecting him as untouchable either, leaving the door slightly open to a move.

However, the single biggest obstacle is the player himself. Sport are clear that Balde has not opened the door to a move and is unlikely to do so easily

He remains a Barcelona academy product, a Spain international, and a player who has spent his entire senior career at Camp Nou.

Leaving for the Premier League, even for a club preparing a Champions League return, would be a significant personal decision rather than a routine career step.

United, for their part, are reportedly unwilling to enter formal negotiations unless they see Alejandro Balde is open to the move.

As such, we’re nowhere near a done deal, however it is an opportunity that Manchester United are monitoring with Barcelona’s financial reality potentially forcing conversations the player would otherwise prefer not to have.

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