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Manchester United are maintaining strong interest in Alejandro Balde, with the Barcelona left-back potentially heading towards the exit door this week.

With just one week remaining before the transfer deadline, the Red Devils are still searching for a new left-back to compete for minutes alongside Luke Shaw.

The club had viewed Lewis Hall as the ideal option for the position, but Newcastle and their new head coach, Matthias Jaissle, have made it very clear that the 21-year-old is not available for transfer, forcing INEOS to turn their attention towards alternative targets.

Last week, Balde emerged as Manchester United’s leading option. The 22-year-old came through the Barcelona academy and had established himself as an important figure at the club, at least before a series of recurring injury issues disrupted his progress.

The Spaniard is going through an especially difficult start to the season, with manager Hansi Flick leaving him out of the matchday squad for the opening game of the campaign.

According to ESPN journalist Rob Dawson, the German coach is preparing for face-to-face discussions with the player after accusing him of being distracted.

At the same time, Manchester United are continuing to track developments closely as they get ready to make their move.

As explained in the report, United would prefer to bring Balde in on a season-long loan with an option to buy, provided the left-back makes it clear that he wants the move.

Barcelona, meanwhile, would be looking to receive a transfer fee of between €30 million (£26m) and €40m (£34m).

As The Athletic reported last week, Manchester United have not entirely given up on signing Hall from Newcastle, but have instead pushed those plans back until next summer after accepting that the right conditions are not in place at present.

A loan deal for Balde would therefore strengthen the position by adding one of the most exciting young players in that role, while also allowing the club to avoid making a long-term commitment immediately.

In that scenario, if the Spaniard performs well, INEOS would be prepared to activate their option to buy. If not, they would have the flexibility to send him back to Barcelona should he struggle to adapt to the Premier League or continue to face injury problems, which would also allow them to revive their pursuit of Hall.