Alejandro Balde Transfer News: Danny Murphy wants Liverpool to gatecrash Manchester United’s pursuit of Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde, according to the Liverpool Echo. The former Anfield midfielder believes the Spaniard could settle a position that has troubled Andoni Iraola since the summer.
Murphy told Betarades.gr that Balde is a “super talent” who knows the expectations at a huge club, and said Liverpool should sign somebody who leaves no doubt about coping with that pressure. Milos Kerkez hasn’t offered that certainty.
He told Betarades.gr: “I think Balde could be great for Liverpool because he’s a super talent and he’s also got that experience of being at a huge football club with that expectation. Balde’s a really good player. There’s lots of good players out there, and Liverpool will be scouring the world. I think the most important thing is trying to bring somebody in who doesn’t make you guess whether he can deal with the pressure of a big club.”
Liverpool paid Bournemouth £40m for Kerkez in 2025 to replace Andy Robertson, who has since left on a free transfer. He now rotates with Kostas Tsimikas, who started the 3-2 defeat at Fenerbahce on 4 November. Kerkez works hard, but his defending looks erratic, his positioning loose and his composure in the final third poor, despite making the PFA Team of the Year under Iraola at Bournemouth.
Alejandro Balde Transfer News: Why Balde could leave
Balde is 23, contracted until June 2028 and has played only 116 minutes this season, with Hansi Flick preferring Joao Cancelo and teenager Espart. Barcelona wanted around €40m (£33.3m) in the summer. Reporter Matteo Moretto says he’s no longer reluctant to leave in January, and TEAMtalk claims Barcelona would allow a loan, with Liverpool among his camp’s options. Sport believes Liverpool hold an advantage over United because of the relationship built through Ronald Araujo’s loan to Anfield this summer.
What he would bring
Balde is quick, happy to run at defenders and a willing overlapper, which suits Iraola’s system. The doubts concern availability and rhythm, because injuries and inconsistency cost him his place and minutes. An overlapping full-back also leaves space behind him, a risk for a Liverpool side that conceded what Iraola called cheap goals from a free-kick, a corner and a long throw-in in Istanbul.
United’s need is greater. They signed no left-back in the summer; Luke Shaw is 31 and injured, and right-back Diogo Dalot, filling in on the left, watched fans cheer his substitution after conceding a penalty in the 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on 8 November. Michael Carrick’s side sit 18th with eight points from ten games.
Is Kerkez the problem Liverpool need to solve?
Not on his own, and Liverpool should resist paying £33m for a second left-back barely a year after spending £40m on the first. Iraola named Kerkez as the first player he wanted to improve, and the Fenerbahce collapse owed more to set-piece sloppiness than the left flank.
Still, leaning on Tsimikas as the alternative leaves Iraola exposed if Kerkez doesn’t recover. A loan with an option to buy, helped by the Araujo relationship, would add competition without admitting the Kerkez deal was a mistake.
United face the opposite equation. Shaw can’t be trusted to stay fit, Dalot is a right-back out of position, and the probable new manager Pochettino has no natural cover. Balde is therefore a necessity, and United should be the club ready to buy him outright, because a loan would patch January and leave the same hole in June. Liverpool can wait for Kerkez to recover. United, in the bottom three, have run out of time.
