Liverpool expected to sign £865m star who turned down Man Utd as Iraola works out fix for tricky spot
Liverpool is reportedly thinking about signing Barcelona’s talented left-back, Alejandro Balde, who recently turned down a move to Manchester United.
Although Liverpool brought in some big names like Bradley Barcola, Victor Muñoz, and Ronald Araújo on loan during the summer transfer window, the team still seems to have some gaps—especially in midfield and full-back positions. These areas have faced some criticism early in the 2026/27 season.
It looks like coach Iraola is planning to add a new full-back in the winter transfer window.
According to Daily Mail’s Lewis Steele, who spoke on Anfield Index, Liverpool will likely focus on signing a new left-back.
“I think they wanted a left-back this summer because, as we’ve seen, Kerkez isn’t quite ready yet,” he said. Steele also added, “Tsimikas just doesn’t look good enough, to be honest.”
When asked about possible signings, Steele mentioned Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde, who was linked with Manchester United this summer.
“I understand why Balde’s name comes up,” he said. “It could make sense financially for Liverpool, considering his playing time at Barcelona.”
Balde, who has also caught the eye of Inter Milan, is said to have a huge £856 million release clause at Barcelona. The Catalan club even turned down a loan offer from Manchester United.
Despite the high release fee, Spanish outlet SPORT reports Balde might be available for about £34 million in January because he’s currently behind Xavi Espart and João Cancelo in the team line-up.
The 22-year-old has played 169 games for Barcelona, scoring three goals and making 21 assists, and has seven appearances for Spain.
Even with the transfer talk, Barcelona’s sporting director Deco said Balde is still part of their future. Speaking to RAC1 in September, he said, “Nothing has happened. He’s our player. He’s 22, with a bright future and a contract with the best club in the world. He needs to fight for his spot. He’s had some injuries, but two years ago, he was fantastic. If he’s fit, it’s hard to see him not playing for Barça. There’s been a lot of talk, but he’s never said he wants to leave. Whether he plays or not isn’t the sporting director’s call.”