Manchester United's hopes of signing Valencia sensation Jordi Alba are all but over with Barcelona set to complete a deal this week.

The exciting left-back of Catalonian heritage has attracted admiring glances from Old Trafford and Camp Nou but Barca have opened talks with their La Liga rivals and expect to finalise the move in the next few days.

The defender is currently in Poland with Spain preparing for their Euro 2012 campaign, but that has not stopped Barca's sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta contacting Valencia president Manuel Llorente and thrashing out the details of the transfer.

The 23-year-old, who is equally adept in a more attacking role down the left, is set to cost Barca £10m, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.