Manchester United give up pursuit of Alejandro Balde | OneFootball

Barcelona are likely to move on at least one first team player before the summer transfer window closes on Tuesday. Marc Casado is in line to depart after being told he is surplus to requirements, but he is not the only one to have been heavily linked with an exit.

As recently as last week, Balde’s possible departure has been heavily speculated upon. The arrival of Joao Cancelo has dropped him down the pecking order at left-back, where he is already trailing Xavi Espart after the opening two matches of the season. This has led to strong reports that he could leave, and if he were to move on, the most likely destination would be Manchester United.

Despite this, Balde has reportedly made it clear that he does not want to leave Barcelona this summer, and as per Fabrizio Romano (via Sport), this has ultimately led Man United to end their interest, having recognised that a deal will not be possible.

Man United also put off by agent demands

According to the report, Man United held talks with Balde’s agent Jorge Mendes over the weekend, but it did not go well. The Portuguese made it clear that his client would only contemplate a transfer, and with the Premier League giants only prepared to sanction a loan, the decision has been made for them to consider other targets.

It all means that Balde will be staying at Barcelona for at least one more season. The 22-year-old has struggled over the last 12 months, but if he manages to break back into the starting line-up over the course of the 2026-27 campaign, it will go a long way to ensuring that he remains at the Spotify Camp Nou for many years to come, rather than this situation being re-visited in the summer of 2027.