Alejandro Balde's Future: Manchester United Interest Amid Barcelona Struggles

Alejandro Balde’s Manchester United links have flared back into focus just as his Barcelona career appears to be stalling on the bench.

The 22-year-old, who was the subject of a late loan enquiry from United in the summer, watched from the sidelines as Barcelona tore Feyenoord apart 5-1 in their opening Champions League fixture. He never got on the pitch. He hasn’t all season.

Balde frozen out as Flick backs Cancelo

Hansi Flick’s team selection in Europe was telling. With a natural left-back in Balde available, the Barcelona boss instead flipped Joao Cancelo — a right-back by trade and former Manchester City defender — over to the left side.

That wasn’t a one-off snub. Since United’s attempt to take Balde on loan, Flick has not used him in any competition. The Spain international has been named among the substitutes every time, but the call from the bench has never come. For now, he is a spectator.

Flick has already challenged the defender publicly, questioning his current mindset and demanding a stronger push for a place in the side. The coach made his stance clear at the start of the season, when Balde was left out of the squad entirely for Barcelona’s opening La Liga win over Elche.

Asked then if he wanted Balde to leave, Flick was blunt: “No, I'm not asking him to leave.

“This morning I felt there was something wrong. I spoke to him and said: 'At this moment, I have this feeling, and I think it's best for you to clear your mind, sort out your thoughts, and then we'll talk again tomorrow.'

“And he agreed as well. He agreed to it because there are so many things going around in his head, and that's why he's not here.”

Balde has since been reintegrated into matchday squads, but the pattern has not changed. He warms up, he sits down, the final whistle blows. Still no minutes.

United’s left-back dilemma lingers

All of this plays out against a familiar backdrop at Old Trafford. United went looking for cover at left-back in the summer and landed on Balde as a possible solution. Barcelona kept him. United moved on, but not with much depth.

Michael Carrick goes into the autumn with Luke Shaw as his only established senior left-back. The scenario everyone at the club wanted to avoid is obvious: one Shaw injury, and the entire defensive structure needs reshaping.

If Shaw is unavailable, Carrick would likely be forced into a compromise. Lisandro Martinez could shuffle across from centre-back. Noussair Mazraoui or Diogo Dalot might have to flip sides. All are capable footballers, but none is a specialist in that role. It would be a patch, not a plan.

Carrick may have to experiment sooner than expected. Shaw missed training on the eve of United’s Champions League tie against Sabah at Old Trafford, immediately raising questions about his involvement.

The United manager moved quickly to calm any panic.

“We just gave him an extra recovery day today. We'll see by tomorrow how he is,” Carrick explained. “It's not an ongoing thing or a plan or anything like that. It was just off the back of the game the other day. So, as normal, each individual has different little things that we manage.”

Shaw is expected to be held back with the Manchester Derby looming this weekend, a fixture United can ill afford to approach with a makeshift back line.

So the picture is stark. In Barcelona, a highly rated left-back United wanted is stuck on the bench, fighting for Flick’s trust. In Manchester, a club that chased him is one strain or knock away from a defensive reshuffle it never truly wanted.

If this stand-off continues, how long before the question around Balde’s future — and United’s need — resurfaces with real force?