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Manchester United have called super-agent Jorge Mendes to understand the situation of Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde, according to reputed journalist Fabrizio Romano. The Red Devils are currently in the process of signing a third midfielder this summer. They have already recruited Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos, and Carlos Baleba could join the club soon. A left-back could be the prime priority after Baleba. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that United recently ‘made a call’ to Mendes regarding his client Balde. Balde has a great relationship with Barcelona, and he does not want to leave. However, that stance could change if the Blaugrana personally push him through the exit door. Still, it could prove expensive to prise the Spain international away from the La Liga holders. Balde’s injury record is a potential concern United have one of England’s best left-backs in Luke Shaw, but the 31-year-old has had a lengthy injury record. Last season was an exception as he started every Premier League game. Shaw benefited from early Cup exits and no European football. With the club back in the Champions League, the extra workload increases the risk of the Englishman suffering injuries. United need a solid deputy to reduce the burden on Shaw. Patrick Dorgu was signed for that purpose, but the Dane has played as a winger since the New Year and can be defensively vulnerable. In Balde, the Red Devils would have a more reliable left-back. He completed 92 percent of his passes in La Liga last term, and also won 60 percent of his duels with three recoveries and one tackle per game. Despite the positives, Balde has missed 70 competitive matches for the Blaugrana since the start of the 2021/22 season due to injuries. He was absent for 10 games last term with muscular concerns. Earlier in April, Sport claimed that Balde could be permitted to leave for £43 million. Since then, we have seen a highly inflated transfer window with clubs paying over the odds for players. Barcelona will no doubt seek to capitalise and could easily demand £55-60m for Balde. In our view, he would be a risky acquisition for the Red Devils, given his worrying injury record. The Premier League’s extra physicality and intensity could further test his fitness. Stats from Transfermarkt.com & Sofascore.com