Romano drops huge Man Utd left-back signing update after Balde deal is ruled out | OneFootball

Fabrizio Romano insists he still expects Man Utd to sign a new left-back before the transfer deadline despite a deal for Alejandro Balde looking difficult.

The Red Devils have spent most of the summer transfer window concentrating on improving their midfield after Casemiro left at the end of the season.

Youri Tielmans, Carlos Baleba and Andrey Santos have joined from Aston Villa, Brighton and Chelsea respectively, as Man Utd now move on to other priorities.

A new left-back is one of those, while the Red Devils could also move for a striker if Joshua Zirkzee finalises a move to Juventus before the deadline.

After watching Man Utd beat Ipswich Town 5-2 on Sunday, Gary Neville has urged the Red Devils to sign a new left-back and centre-back in the remaining two days of the window.

Neville said on Sky Sports: “In a perfect world, if you’d said to Michael Carrick, ‘what would you have done this summer?’ he would have said, ‘rebuild the midfield, and I would rebuild the defence’.

“But, to be fair, last season, they’ve spent, whatever it is, £170m on attackers. They’ve spent £150m this year on midfielders. They’re doing it piece by piece. That might be the sensible thing to do, to not overhaul everything at once.

“They have got some individually decent defenders, but there isn’t a back four there and when it starts to get put under pressure and it starts to pick up a couple of injuries during the season, it will let you down. Michael knows that right now.

“If they could get a centre-back and a full-back before the window closes, that will stop problems that we know we’re going to see.

“I’m not saying they’ve been bad all the time, but you just know full well, in Champions League football, Premier League games, they will have problems and they will have issues. It’s not being harsh. Everybody knows it.

“I’m amazed that United haven’t added at the back. I’m amazed that Liverpool haven’t added two full-backs because they need two full-backs.

“Arsenal are strengthening when they’re absolutely at the top. Manchester United and Liverpool aren’t in that position. So I’m surprised at the windows these two great clubs have had.”

Barcelona left-back Balde is one of the options under consideration at Old Trafford but Romano – who still expects Man Utd to sign a left-back – insists the Red Devils think the Spain international will prove too expensive.

Romano said on his YouTube channel: “Guys, on Balde, Man Utd believe the deal is too expensive. So Man Utd also informed by Jorge Mendes over the weekend, on Sunday, about any movement around Balde. Jorge Mendes made sure Man Utd had all the conditions of the deal but Manchester United were only interested on loan, maybe with a buy option clause, maybe becoming an obligation under certain conditions.

“But Jorge Mendes told Man Utd, as of today, Barcelona want permanent transfer or nothing. The player also is keen on staying at Barcelona, so that’s the situation.

“Then should anything change I will let you know. I still expect Man Utd to sign a left-back but as for Balde, at the moment it looks complicated financially to complete this deal.”