Club Brugge manager Ivan Leko has admitted it will be "hard to reject" the right offer for Manchester United-linked Joaquin Seys. The Reds are looking to sign a new left-back this summer, with Luke Shaw having less than a year left on his current contract.
United's left-back search
Patrick Dorgu, meanwhile, has looked more comfortable on the left wing, while two other options in that position, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui, are more right-backs. Harry Amass is another possibility for Michael Carrick, but is untested at the highest level.
Newcastle star Lewis Hall has been heavily linked with a summer switch to Old Trafford in United's search for left-back reinforcements. The 21-year-old is seen as the perfect age and already has good Premier League experience. But a move to M16 is unlikely for now after the Magpies sold several key players this summer, including Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali. It means the Reds will have to explore other options with just over two weeks left before the transfer window slams shut.
Interest in Seys
One name being mentioned is Seys. The Sun have recently claimed that United, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle are keen on signing the Belgian international this summer. It is said that the Reds also face competition from Portuguese giants Benfica and Porto, should they move to sign the £30million-rated full-back.
And Leko has now opened up on the young star's future in an interview ahead of Brugge's 3-0 win over Oud-Heverlee Leuven on Saturday. He said: "I'm proud that my guys are being linked to those clubs. We chat about it every now and then. How much of those rumours is true? I don't know. But we all have eyes in our heads: their potential is incredible. On the other hand, they remain consummate professionals and are happy here. The focus is entirely on OHL."
Leko's stance on Seys' future
Leko previously claimed Seys was destined to play at the top of the Premier League and believes there is a chance he will move on before deadline day. The defender has three years remaining on his current contract. He added: "If there's a lot of money on the table, it's obviously not easy to say no. The board's aim is still to build a team that's even better than last season. The right time to leave will come. Tzolis has proved that. Let's hope they're all still here in September."
It has recently been claimed that Carrick's side, Arsenal and Villa have all enquired about the Brugge star following extensive scouting missions. And Reds scouts will have been impressed by his attacking talent. Seys has scored seven goals and provided eight assists in 98 appearances for Brugge and was called up to Belgium's World Cup squad this summer - playing 30 minutes against eventual champions Spain.
United have until 5pm on September 3 to make any new additions to their squad this summer. The Reds have so far signed Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Karl Darlow ahead of their Premier League opener at Hull City on August 22.
