Manchester United are eager to bring in a central midfielder and a left-sided defender, with negotiations advancing on one of those areas.
The Old Trafford outfit have already secured the signings of Karl Darlow, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans during the current transfer period, yet the hierarchy felt compelled to continue their recruitment efforts.
Michael Carrick had publicly urged the club to make additional acquisitions during discussions with reporters earlier this month, and a formal offer worth approximately £60million alongside an extra £5million in potential add-ons has now been lodged for Brighton’s Carlos Baleba.
Finalising the Baleba transfer still requires further negotiation, though the player has expressed enthusiasm about the move dating back to initial contact last summer, and an accord with Brighton appears imminent.
Once the Baleba deal is wrapped up, United will shift focus toward securing a left-back, though unexpected developments could still emerge in that department.
Newcastle have no intention of offloading Lewis Hall. The 21-year-old is considered an ideal acquisition by United, yet Newcastle have suffered a calamitous transfer window, making his departure impractical from their perspective.
United have evaluated other options for the left-back role this summer. Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly has attracted their attention, while Racing de Santander’s Jorge Salinas has also emerged as a noteworthy candidate.
Salinas featured 34 times during an impressive season with Racing and caught the attention of British scouts following standout performances at the Under-19 European Championship held in Wales during the summer.
Salinas apparently carries a €16million release clause at Racing, meaning he would cost substantially less than Hall and could serve as reliable cover for Luke Shaw, who has shown no signs of deterioration.
There remains every possibility that United will sign an unexpected left-back. While interest in Darlow and Santos was public knowledge before those moves progressed, Tielemans’ arrival came as a complete surprise.
Tielemans possessed a £35million release clause at Aston Villa, an opportunity that United learned about, and the board were pleased to finalize the agreement before any reports surfaced.
Another surprise addition at left-back before the deadline remains plausible. If United were genuinely pursuing Salinas, one would expect the deal to have been concluded given his modest buyout figure.
Conversely, a move for Lewis-Skelly would appear highly logical and seems achievable before September 1. United have monitored the 19-year-old for some time, and he would represent a clever acquisition.
This would depend on Lewis-Skelly joining primarily as a left-back. That was his position at Arsenal before transitioning to a different role at the end of last season, which included starting in defensive midfield during the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Lewis-Skelly also began in midfield against Manchester City in last weekend’s Community Shield, though acquiring a versatile player capable of excelling in multiple positions is certainly advantageous.
One certainty remains: United must complete a left-back signing before the transfer window shuts. Shaw featured in every Premier League match last season, becoming merely the fifth player at the club to accomplish that, but past patterns indicate he cannot sustain playing twice weekly.
The Manchester Evening News revealed in May that United’s summer objectives centred on revamping the midfield, reinforcing the left flank, and acquiring a left-back, with the club now nearing completion of that checklist.
Baleba would mark the third midfield addition, and Marcus Rashford appears increasingly inclined to remain past deadline day, which would address the left-wing requirements, meaning a left-back acquisition would represent the finishing touch.
Work continues, but the pieces are aligning as the new campaign approaches.