The angle is January, but the negotiation began months earlier. Manchester United sat down with Balde’s camp over the summer, ran structure past super-agent Jorge Mendes and decided the numbers did not work.
“The first one for Alejandro Balde was clearly impossible on the financial point of view,” Romano said.
His account has Mendes flying to Catalonia to lay out United’s terms in person.
“Jorge Mendes was in Barcelona to discuss the Man Utd possibility with Barca director Deco,” Romano said.
The two clubs never came close on structure. United wanted a low-risk route in; Barcelona would not entertain it.
“Utd were only interested in a loan deal potentially with the buy-option clause to become mandatory under certain conditions, but not a permanent deal immediately, and Barca were never going to accept a loan for Balde,” Romano said.
“Only permanent transfer, and then also the salary was a problem.”
The Cancelo problem
Balde has spent the opening weeks of the season watching from outside the matchday squad. The 22-year-old has not featured in any of Barcelona’s five competitive matches this season, with João Cancelo, back at the club on a permanent deal, installed as Hansi Flick’s first-choice left-back and academy graduate Xavi Espart pushing up the internal order.
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Balde chose to stay at Camp Nou over the summer and back himself to change Flick’s mind. Two months in, the German coach is still asking for more, in fitness and in commitment, before he restores the Spain international to the rotation.
Why January is still ‘one to watch’
Romano’s read is that the file has not closed with the summer.
“For sure, the Balde situation is going to be one to watch this season and in the upcoming months,” he said.
Balde himself is not pushing for the exit. Romano’s line is that “Balde is in love with Barcelona”, and Cancelo’s return does not automatically end his time in Catalonia. But if minutes stay scarce and Barcelona need salary relief in the winter, a route to Old Trafford exists, provided Manchester United, now under Michael Carrick on a two-year contract running to 2028, decide the maths adds up in January.
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