Barcelona misfit Alejandro Balde is reportedly ‘open’ to leaving the club in January amid strong interest from Manchester United.

Balde joined Barca at the age of just eight after impressing in Espanyol’s youth ranks and would go on to break into the Catalan giants’ first-team in 2021.

The 23-year-old left-back has since made a total of 172 appearances in all competitions for Barca while helping the club win seven pieces of silverware, including three La Liga titles.

However, Balde has badly struggled for regular playing time under head coach Hansi Flick, with all four of his appearances this season coming from the substitutes bench.

Balde currently finds himself behind both Joao Cancelo and Xavi Espart in the pecking order at the Camp Nou and the Spain international’s career appears to be at a crossroads.

According to Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, Barca’s coaching staff are of the belief that Balde is prone to ‘losing focus’ and is unable to read the game well when it comes to pressing.

‘Balde doesn’t have the confidence he needs in his game right now, nor the conviction,’ Flick told reporters ahead of Barca’s 6-1 victory over Alaves last weekend.

It’s claimed the situation has left Balde ‘open’ to the prospect of moving on from Barca, with the out-of-favour full-back ‘beginning to accept’ that this is likely his only route back to playing consistently.

Balde is said to have grown ‘upset’ as he expected Flick to have been direct and honest with him over his limited minutes, as the German supposedly had been with the likes of Marc Casado and Hector Fort.

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The report adds that ‘everything Balde has heard about his situation has come through press conferences’ and the defender is now strongly considering a move as early as this winter, with Manchester United emerging as a possible destination.

Balde is ‘attracted’ by the idea of testing himself in the Premier League and his camp are ready to listen to offers from potential suitors.

He has ‘learned lessons’ from his close friend Ansu Fati, who spent a number of years waiting for opportunities at Barca without managing to nail down regular game-time.

It is believed a bid in the region of €40million (£33m) could be enough to secure a deal for Balde when the January transfer window opens for business.

There are 18 months remaining on Balde’s current contract with the reigning Spanish champions.

Manchester United had been actively looking to strengthen at left-back in the summer in order to provide support and competition for Luke Shaw, the club’s only specialist in the position other than academy product Harry Amass.

But United ultimately failed to bolster their full-back options which has come back to bite them already this season, with Shaw sidelined for the last month through injury.

Diogo Dalot has therefore been forced to fill in as a makeshift left-back during United’s miserable winless streak under an increasingly under-pressure Michael Carrick.

It’s understood Lewis Hall had been identified as United’s number one left-back target ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, but Newcastle made it clear the England international would not be sold for anything other than an astronomical price.

Hall would go on to put pen to paper on a new long-term deal at St James’ Park, tying him to the Magpies until 2031.

Bournemouth’s Adrien Truffert, Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, RB Leipzig’s David Raum and Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell have also been linked with the Red Devils in recent months.