Manchester United Targets Bradley Locko as Left-Back Option

Manchester United’s search for a new left-back is heading into the final stretch of the window, and a new name has moved into view: Bradley Locko.

The Brest defender is willing to make the switch to Old Trafford and link up with Michael Carrick’s squad, according to journalist Dylan McBennett. With the deadline days away and United still short on the left side of defence, his openness to the move could prove significant.

United step back from Balde deal

United’s recruitment team have been scouring the market for days, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the club held talks over Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde. The interest was real. The price was the problem.

Romano explained that INEOS consider a deal for Balde too expensive, both in terms of transfer fee and wages, after a call with agent Jorge Mendes last week. The numbers on the table pushed United away from the Barcelona full-back and back towards more pragmatic options.

That has not slowed their intent. Romano expects United to be “busy” in the final four or five days of the window and insists the club are “still looking for a solution at left-back” and “working to add a new left-back”. The position, he says, is an area United “want to improve before the deadline”, and he fully expects them to bring someone in.

The template is clear. Romano compared the current search to the loan arrival of Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham – not necessarily the same profile, but that sort of deal: an experienced, ready-made left-back who can compete immediately and arrives with an international profile rather than superstar billing.

Locko among candidates keen on Old Trafford

Into that frame steps Locko. At 24, the Frenchman fits the bracket of a player old enough to cope with the step up but young enough to grow into the role.

McBennett reported on X on the morning of August 28 that Locko is “among names that would be open to joining the club before the transfer deadline” if United move for him, adding that he is one of “numerous left-backs with desire to join United this summer”.

Locko has been with Brest since 2023 and is under contract there until 2027, so any move would require the Ligue 1 club to be persuaded to sell. He has made 67 appearances in all competitions for Brest, contributing five assists from left-back – steady numbers that hint at a defender who can offer width and service rather than headline-grabbing output.

For United, the equation is simple. They need cover and competition on the left. They have stepped away from the Balde price tag. They are now trawling a market of players who can come in quickly, handle the pressure, and give Carrick a reliable option.

Locko is not the only one who wants that chance. But as the clock runs down, willingness to move, a realistic fee, and a profile that fits the Reguilon-style template could be exactly what turns interest into a late-window deal.