Manchester United Target Shock Swoop for Barcelona's Jordi Alba if Luke Shaw Bid Fails

Manchester United are considering a shock move in signing Barcelona defender Jordi Alba this summer, according to Tutto Mercato Web.

The report claims the Red Devils are preparing an alternative plan if they fail to land Southampton star Luke Shaw. The England international has been linked with a move to Old Trafford as a long-term replacement for Patrice Evra.

The French international recently signed a one-year contract extension and the talks over Shaw's potential move to United have cooled down in the past few weeks. The Saints left-back has been a priority signing for the Red Devils in the summer transfer window.

Tutto Mercato Web claims there are complications in Shaw's transfer which have stalled the deal. He has made it to Roy Hodgson's 23-man shortlist for the World Cup and it is unlikely that United will manage to seal a deal for him before the summer tournament.

The situation has forced the Red Devils to prepare for Plan B, which has seen them monitor the Spain international. Any failure from United to land Shaw will then see them switch their attention to signing Barcelona's left-back.

Alba has made it to the Spain squad for the World Cup in Brazil. Should United fail to land Shaw, the Red Devils need to move quickly for the Spaniard's signature as it would be a tough task for them to convince the left-back to leave his current employers.

Meanwhile, United stopper David de Gea made his senior debut for Spain on Saturday during his national side's international friendly fixture against El Salvador. The former Atletico Madrid keeper believes Vicente del Bosque can retain their world champion title.

"We have great players, a great team, and people capable of good football. Above all, it's a group of friends that play very well. I hope we can go all the way in the tournament," De Gea told United's official website.