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Manchester United are not exploring a move for Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde, according to Spanish publication Sport (page 12). The Red Devils had a frustrating start to the Premier League campaign, suffering a surprise 2-0 defeat to newly promoted Hull City on the road. United struggled to get up to speed at the MKM Stadium, and they were thoroughly beaten after a lacklustre performance against the Tigers. Luke Shaw had a tough outing in the AC Milan friendly earlier this month. He fared better defensively yesterday and was beaten in the air for Hull’s second goal. United may seek a solid competitor to Shaw before the transfer deadline, but there is ‘currently no sign of movement from Michael Carrick’s side’ for Balde, as per Sport. The outlet add that it has been a recurring theme for any potential departure from Barcelona to be linked with United, but the Red Devils don’t seem interested, for now. Barcelona are eyeing £34 million to £39 million for Balde’s exit. Benfica have already made an initial offer, but their proposal is unlikely to exceed £17m before add-ons. United may not pursue a deal for Balde The Spaniard fell below in the pecking order at Barcelona during the back end of last season as Joao Cancelo was preferred ahead of him at left-back after his loan move from Al-Hilal. Cancelo was recently re-signed on a permanent transfer after terminating his contract at the Saudi Pro League club, and he is widely expected to be the regular left-back this term. Barcelona manager Hansi Flick has clearly hinted that Balde needs to compete for the position with Cancelo and did not offer any assurances during a recent press conference. Hence, Balde could be eyeing a new challenge elsewhere. It has been claimed that United have called his agent Jorge Mendes, but Sport insist that there is nothing at the moment. In our view, the Red Devils’ stance on the 22-year-old does not surprise us. Balde was a leading performer for the Blaugrana not so long ago, but injuries have hampered his progress. He has missed 70 competitive matches over the past five seasons, and was absent for two months last term with muscle and hamstring injuries, which should concern any interested club. Shaw managed to stay unscathed last season, but he has had a lengthy injury record in his United career. The last thing the club want is to sign another left-back who is injury-prone at 22. Hence, United’s stance on signing him seems reasonable. If the Red Devils change their decision, a loan deal with an option to buy could be the best solution before the transfer deadline. In that way, they can assess whether Balde can cope with the league’s physicality and intensity and most importantly, stay fit. United are most likely to pursue a new left-back, given Patrick Dorgu is viewed as a left winger under manager Michael Carrick. Stats from Transfermarkt.com