Barcelona make Alejandro Balde decision after Man Utd boss Michael Carrick drops hint

Manchester United target Alejandro Balde has been left out of Barcelona's squad for their La Liga opener against Elche. Balde, 22, is on the Camp Nou chopping block and wants to secure a move away ahead of the transfer window closing on September 1.

The Spaniard is an option for United, who are scouring the market for a left-back . Talks have reportedly been held with Balde's agent, Jorge Mendes, with the Red Devils preparing a bid of €40million (£33m).

On Sunday, Barcelona announced their 25-man travelling squad to face Elche and Balde wasn't included. Marc Casado and Hector Fort were also left out, with all three players up for sale.

Both Balde and Fort's chances of game time took a hit this week when Barca welcomed back Joao Cancelo , who can play on the left and right-hand side of defence. Cancelo's arrival on loan in January led to a reduction in minutes for Balde, whose 2025-26 campaign was also blighted by hamstring injuries.

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Barca boss Hansi Flick hailed the 22-year-old in his pre-match press conference but isn't sure whether he can compete with Cancelo. "He's a player of immense quality, and it's important to know if he's confident he can compete in his position," Flick said.

"That's what I want to see from all my players. Every day I observe what they do, their level, whether they demonstrate that they're at the level to play."

Flick's comments come after Michael Carrick was quizzed on United's left-back search before they started the Premier League season with a limp 2-0 loss away to newly promoted Hull . "I just think we're looking to strengthen the squad," Carrick replied.

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"We're certainly working towards that, making the most of the situation that we have and trying to improve things and trying to move forward. You know, I said the same thing to you last time.

"So, yeah, certainly trying to make the most of the opportunities to finish the window stronger than we went into it. And I think we're a good way to doing that, so far."

Lewis Hall of Newcastle was United's top left-back target earlier in the window, but he's seen as unattainable this summer for a variety of reasons. Newcastle don't need to sell and have already lost three key players, while United have spent most of their budget on midfielders.

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