Chelsea and Manchester United emerge as favorites to sign highly-rated Barcelona superstar - Reports
Chelsea and Manchester United are reportedly frontrunners in the race to sign Barcelona star Alejandro Balde.
Fichajes reports that the Premier League giants' are both favorites to sign Balde. Barca may cash in on the 20-year-old, who has enjoyed a meteoric rise at Camp Nou.
Balde finished seventh in the Kopa Trophy rankings following a stellar 2022-23 campaign. The Spanish left-back made 44 appearances across competitions, scoring one goal and providing seven assists.
Many view Balde as Jordi Alba's successor at left-back for Barcelona but the Catalan giants have had issues tying him down to a new deal. His current contract expires in 2028 but Chelsea and Manchester United are circling.
Mauricio Pochettino is yet to fully place his trust in Ben Chilwell and Marc Cucurella. The Blues have made several changes to their defense since Todd Boehly became co-owner in May 2022, particularly targeting youth.
Meanwhile, Erik ten Hag has dealt with injuries to left-back duo Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw at the start of this season. The Dutch tactician knows about the talents Balde possesses having faced him in the UEFA Europa League last season.
Thus, Balde is viewed as an intriguing option for both Chelsea and Manchester United. Barcelona are eager to get him to renew his contract on fresh terms and are concerned about the threat posed by the two Premier League giants.
Barcelona's Alejandro Balde admits he'd love to play alongside Manchester United star Marcus Rashford
Balde named the Red Devils' Marcus Rashford as the one English player he'd like to play with in Spain's national team. He said (via Manchester Evening News):
“One English player that I would like to be Spanish is Marcus Rashford. Because he is a player who I like. I like his way of playing.”
The seven-cap La Roja international played against Rashford last season when Manchester United met Barcelona in the Europa League. The English forward was a standout performer over both legs of his side's 4-3 playoff victory over the La Liga giants.
Rashford netted in a 2-2 draw at Camp Nou, also causing Jules Kounde to bundle the ball into the back of his own net. He also impressed in the second leg at Old Trafford as Ten Hag's men won 2-1.
The 25-year-old enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022-23, bagging 30 goals and 11 assists in 56 games across competitions. He also caught the eye at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with England, managing three goals in five games.