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Alejandro Balde to Manchester United

This move fell through. Last report: Fabrizio Romano (via The Peoples Person), 31 August 2026.

Manchester United's interest in Alejandro Balde has cooled into something closer to a stand-off. Jorge Mendes has told United that Barcelona want a permanent sale or nothing, killing off any hope of a loan with an option to buy. United asked about conditions for a deal but never actually sent a bid, and Balde himself has told Barcelona he wants to stay and fight for his place. The fee touted, somewhere between €42m and €60m, has also been called too rich once wages are factored in. Fabrizio Romano has driven almost every line of this story, and his sourcing carries real weight given his track record. Moisés Llorens added a touch of nuance a week earlier, noting Barcelona want an outright sale while United preferred a cheaper loan route, a detail that lines up with what Romano later confirmed. There is no second club or agent voice contradicting any of this, so the picture is consistent, if entirely built on one dominant source. The chance of this actually happening looks slim. Balde does not want to leave, Barcelona are only willing to sell rather than loan him out, and United have not even followed up their enquiry with a bid. For this to move, United would need to decide he is worth a big permanent fee and Balde would need to change his mind about his future. Right now none of those things are true, so call it a long shot for now. Barcelona have sold defenders at this kind of level before. They took €50m from PSG in 2023, €43m from Arsenal in 2014, and €42m from GZ Evergrande in 2019, so a fee near the top of United's range would sit comfortably within that history if a d

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