Manchester United have made an offer for Barcelona full-back Alejandro Balde, according to reports. Mundo Deportivo have claimed that the Catalan academy graduate is the subject of various offers, with Michael Carrick's side facing competition.
Before Balde opts to leave the Nou Camp, it has been said that the 22-year-old wants to know if he isn't needed within Hansi Flick's side before deciding his future.
United's left-back search
United have been widely mooted with left-back reinforcements, while Matthias Jaissle shot down reports that Lewis Hall would swap the North East for the North West. ESPN has reported that club sources at Old Trafford have dismissed the chances of securing Balde, but the reigning La Liga champions have been made aware of the interest.
United would prefer a season-long loan if Balde was made available, ESPN has suggested, with the option to make a move permanent. It has been said that the Spanish giants value his services up to £34million.
Balde's Barcelona situation
Balde's future remains precarious after being left out of the emphatic 5-0 win in their curtain-raiser against Elche. Speaking post-match, Flick admitted that the Catalan was left out of the squad to clear his mind amid the ongoing transfer speculation.
He said: "We have to manage the minutes, I hope to have six players who can play 90 minutes. I spoke with Balde this morning and told him that I think he’s not here at 100%, clear your mind and then we’ll talk."
Reports claim that the German wants to hold face-to-face meetings with the full-back before making a decision on his future. Meanwhile, Balde is wanting assurances over his playing time with Joao Cancelo and Xavi Espart competing for a starting berth, and it is reported that a meeting with Flick is taking place on Monday night.
Carrick's defensive concerns
Luke Shaw is the current starting left-back for United, but Carrick faces the need to add reinforcements at the back, with their midfield options increasing as Carlos Baleba closes in on a move. United got off to a losing start in Carrick's first match as permanent head coach, and Shaw was among those to feature in the 2-0 defeat at Hull.
On the defeat, he said: "Disappointing, I think we knew Hull’s strengths, Set-plays and wide positions and crosses into the box. At times we did defend well, but the goals, set-plays, not good enough. We knew they were going to be good from set-plays and ultimately it’s cost us the three points."
