Manchester United and Barcelona could heavily influence each other's January transfer windows.

Both clubs are expected to be busy mid-season, although one has significantly more urgency to make signings than the other. Barcelona are top of LaLiga and only really need one defensive reinforcement.

Man Utd, on the other hand, are in for a comprehensive defensive overhaul - not to mention the need for another striker - although whether this is possible or advisable to do mid-season is certainly doubtful. Nevertheless, the Red Devils could make multiple signings this winter.

Reports suggest that new head coach Mauricio Pochettino will be backed "considerably" in January in order to turn the club's atrocious form around. Man Utd are currently in the Premier League relegation zone.

One of the main items on the agenda for the Old Trafford outfit is sorting out the left-back department. Although Man Utd have as many as five players capable of playing in that position, only the perennially injured Luke Shaw is a semi-convincing option.

Double Barcelona transfer domino?

Already earlier this week, it was suggested that Barcelona and Juventus could have a major role to play in Man Utd's search for a new left-sided defender. Juventus are reportedly willing to offload Andrea Cambiaso, who is a target for Barcelona, to fund a move for Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Although both Cambiaso and Ait-Nouri are also said to be on the radar of Man Utd, this constellation is not necessarily bad for the Red Devils because it could give them a free run at Alejandro Balde.

The 22-year-old has no future in Barcelona and is expected to be on the move in January. Man Utd already explored a deal in the summer, at a time when the player was not yet willing to consider a transfer.

Beyond the left-back issue, Barcelona could also help Man Utd in pursuit of a new centre-back. The Blaugrana's main priority in January is to sign a new central defender, while their English counterparts need a replacement for Lisandro Martinez.

According to Sport, Twente wonderkid Ruud Nijstad is Barcelona's top centre-back target, but there is an understanding that a mid-season deal will be incredibly difficult to pull off. The Dutchman already snubbed the Catalans in the summer and signed a new long-term contract.

Twente are currently enjoying a brilliant season and sit fourth in the Eredivisie table and third in the Conference League standings. They will therefore fight tooth and nail to keep Nijstad.

As a result, Barcelona have drawn up a shortlist of four alternative targets: Youri Baas (Ajax), Vitor Reis (Man City), Arthur Dias (Athletico Paranaense) and Finn Jeltsch (Stuttgart).

This state of affairs could allow Man Utd to make a move for Nijstad either in January or the summer. Of course, they would have to contend with the same difficulties as Barcelona, but they might be better placed financially (certainly not in sporting terms!) to do a deal.

The Catalans fell short of their sales objective in the summer and may have to offload players before they can be active in January. Man Utd, if the reports of their "considerable" backing for Pochettino are to be believed, will perhaps not have that problem.

They might have more resources available to test Twente's resolve, and they are known to be interested in Nijstad. What's more, their former manager, Erik ten Hag, is the Enschede club's technical director.

His existing relationship with his former employer, even if strained, could make for shorter lines of communication and be conducive to a possible transfer.