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Manchester United have made contact with Alejandro Balde’s representatives this week to find out whether a transfer could be possible.

That is according to Fabrizio Romano, who has also said that signing a left-back is the ‘next priority’ for INEOS once they complete the addition of a third midfielder.

There is hope that a midfield signing could be wrapped up in the next few days, with the Red Devils having formally stepped up their move for Carlos Baleba yesterday by lodging a £65 million bid.

The offer, which includes £60 million paid upfront, is understood to fall short of Brighton and Hove Albion’s asking price. Even so, there is confidence that a deal can still be struck, particularly because Baleba himself is very eager to make the move.

United have been linked with several full-backs since the start of the summer, with INEOS seemingly accepting that Luke Shaw is not in a position to play two matches every week.

Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are capable of filling in there, but it is easy to see why Michael Carrick would prefer a specialist left-back to be brought into his squad.

Balde is, however, ‘happy’ at Camp Nou.

He is coming off the back of winning La Liga, having featured 28 times, including 21 starts, during Barcelona’s title-winning campaign.

The 22-year-old may well have felt he had done enough to earn a place in Spain’s World Cup squad, but Luis de la Fuente decided not to take the youngster to the tournament. The same happened ahead of Euro 2024.

Having been with Barcelona since he was only eight years old, it is understandable why Balde is satisfied with his current situation and is not looking for an exit any time soon.

He remains an important part of Hansi Flick’s squad, and it is clear that the current Barcelona group look capable of winning silverware season after season, while rivals Real Madrid appear to be rebuilding after back-to-back trophyless campaigns.