Manchester United Target Bradley Locko as Left-Back Solution

Manchester United’s search for a new left-back is heading into the final stretch of the window, and a new name has moved into focus: Bradley Locko.

The Brest defender is willing to make the move to Old Trafford and link up with Michael Carrick’s squad, according to journalist Dylan McBennett, as United accelerate plans to strengthen on the left side of their back line before the deadline.

United step away from Balde price tag

United have been scouring the market for days, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the club sounded out a deal for Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde. The interest was real. The price was the problem.

INEOS, the club’s co-owners, view a move for Balde as too expensive in terms of both transfer fee and salary. Talks, including a call with agent Jorge Mendes last week, underlined the scale of the financial commitment required. For now, United are not prepared to go that far.

Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, underlined how active the club intend to be in the final four or five days of the window, stressing that left-back remains a clear priority.

He described United’s current strategy as targeting a “solution” rather than a superstar – a profile closer to the Sergio Reguilon loan from Tottenham, an experienced full-back who can compete immediately and arrives with an international flavour, rather than a marquee signing.

That is the market United are now working in.

Locko among options willing to join

Into that space steps Bradley Locko.

McBennett reported on X that the 24-year-old is open to leaving Brest for Manchester United before the transfer deadline, placing him among “numerous left-backs with desire to join United this summer.”

Locko, under contract with Brest until 2027, has been with the Ligue 1 side since 2023. He has made 67 appearances in all competitions for the club, contributing five assists from left-back.

Those numbers point to a steady, developing full-back rather than a headline-grabber, which fits the current brief at Old Trafford: reliable competition, not an extravagant statement.

United are continuing to explore multiple options, but with time running out and the Balde route effectively blocked by cost, players like Locko – available, willing, and within reach – are exactly the kind of solution the club may be forced to move on before the window slams shut.