Manchester United are expected to finalise a deal for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, with a bid of around £60 million plus £5 million in add-ons already submitted. The club will then turn their attention to signing a left-back, and there is a chance they could spring a surprise with that deal.
Progress on Baleba Transfer
United have already signed Karl Darlow, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans this summer, but manager Michael Carrick called for more signings earlier this month. The bid for Baleba has been submitted, and while there is still work to do, the player has been keen to join since initial enquiries were made last summer. An agreement with Brighton is expected.
Left-Back Options Under Consideration
Newcastle do not want to sell Lewis Hall, who is viewed as a dream target at United. However, Newcastle have had a disastrous transfer window, making a sale unlikely. United have looked at alternatives, including Arsenal's Myles Lewis-Skelly and Racing de Santander defender Jorge Salinas.
Salinas made 34 appearances for Racing last season and caught the eye of British scouts at the Under-19 European Championship in Wales earlier this summer. He has a €16 million (£13.7 million) release clause, making him a cheaper option than Hall and a clear deputy to Luke Shaw, who has shown no signs of decline.
Potential for a Surprise Signing
There is a definite chance United will sign a left-back that nobody expected. Tielemans' move came out of the blue after United were informed of his £35 million release clause at Aston Villa, and club chiefs were delighted they nearly completed the deal before any news emerged. Another bolt from the blue could happen with a left-back signing before the deadline.
If United were serious about Salinas, the deal would likely have been done already given his low release clause. However, a move for Lewis-Skelly makes a lot of sense. United have tracked the 19-year-old for a while, and he would be a shrewd addition, primarily playing as a left-back. He played there for Arsenal before switching to defensive midfield, starting against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final and against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
United must get a left-back deal over the line before the window closes. Shaw started every Premier League game last season, becoming just the fifth player to achieve that for United, but history shows he cannot play two matches per week. The club's priorities for the window were to overhaul the midfield, strengthen the left wing, and sign a left-back. Baleba would become the third midfield signing, and Marcus Rashford is increasingly likely to stay, strengthening the left wing. Signing a left-back would be the final piece of the puzzle.
