Manchester United must act swiftly to secure their next vital acquisition following the £65million capture of Carlos Baleba
The Red Devils are on the verge of securing midfielder Carlos Baleba(Image: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire.)
Manchester United are on the brink of completing the signing of Carlos Baleba after putting forward an offer of £60million plus an additional £5m in performance-related clauses for the Brighton man. Baleba has long been on United’s radar, with the club eager to recruit him during the previous summer before Brighton’s £100m price tag temporarily shelved their pursuit.
Now the Red Devils appear to be making significant progress for the 22-year-old, whose valuation has fallen considerably from last year owing to a decline in performance and a recent injury setback. Nevertheless, Baleba still constitutes Michael Carrick’s priciest arrival this transfer window after the club had already added two other midfielders.
The transformation of United’s centre-midfield has seen Andrey Santos arrive via a £50m transaction last month, while Youri Tielemans was procured for £35m. These midfield acquisitions echo the manner in which the club previously focused on bringing in three high-quality forwards in Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo during the same period twelve months prior.
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Nevertheless, several crucial areas still require attention from Carrick before the transfer window concludes on September 1. Most urgent is the requirement to recruit a left-back who can share responsibilities with Luke Shaw and eventually succeed the experienced defender.
Shaw, 31, cannot reasonably be expected to feature in every Premier League match this campaign as he did throughout the previous season, nor can he be relied upon for FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Champions League encounters. Meanwhile, promising youngster Harry Amass could depart within days, either temporarily or permanently.
With that in mind, after securing Baleba, director of football Jason Wilcox must shift focus to acquiring Lewis Hall from Newcastle United. The 21-year-old was identified as the main defensive priority heading into the summer months.
Hall ranks among the most highly-regarded left-backs in the division and, given his youth, would reinforce Carrick’s defence for years to come. Reports suggest the young full-back could command a fee in the region of £60-£70m due to being tied to a contract running until June 2029.
The i Paper has taken things further by reporting that Newcastle’s hierarchy maintain Hall is unavailable and will not consider any approaches, labelling him an ‘untouchable’ part of their squad. However, a club of United’s stature should not place much weight on such assertions.
Newcastle offered similar reassurances regarding Alexander Isak last summer and Bruno Guimaraes earlier this year, yet both ultimately departed for Liverpool and Arsenal respectively. Should United table a substantial proposal and the player himself pushes for a switch, Hall could feasibly be acquired.
The prospect of competing in the Champions League would surely prove irresistible for the player, particularly given Newcastle’s absence from European competition and the departures of Eddie Howe, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Guimaraes suggesting something of a downward trajectory.
Should their primary target Hall prove unattainable due to an excessive valuation, United possess alternative candidates. Club Brugge maintain a similar position on their man Joaquin Seys, another United target, though an offer exceeding his £30m valuation may prove too appealing to reject.
Spanish reports this week also indicate that United have earmarked Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas, 19, as their ‘contingency plan’ should their pursuit of Hall falter.
United officials are described as being ‘highly committed’ to Salinas after monitoring the teenager’s standout showings at this year’s Under-19 European Championship. He carries a €16m (£13.7m) buyout clause at Racing Santander and is also being scouted by La Liga holders Barcelona.
Regardless of who United identify as the most suitable candidate, landing a left-back is imperative. Currently, any injury to Shaw could jeopardise their entire campaign and undermine Carrick’s project.