Manchester United are still extremely interested in Lewis Hall and could offload a striker before the transfer window is over. Michael Carrick endured a nightmare start to the Premier League season after losing 2-0 to Hull City on Saturday.
Despite this defeat, the United boss has insisted he saw positives and will not allow the team to be downtrodden by the result. He said: "It’s one game. It’s the first game of the season so it’s disappointing enough and it hurts, of course it does. But it’s one game, it doesn’t change the whole course of the direction the team or the football club is going in. We’ll stay calm, stay in the bubble and focus on next week."
Baleba set to join for £70m
Now, the manager will focus on bringing in new faces to boost the squad. Carlos Baleba is set to join from Brighton for a fee of £70million with the midfielder being sent for a medical at the weekend.
Here, Mirror Football has examined how United could add to Baleba's arrival and end the transfer window on a high.
Lewis Hall U-turn
It is no secret that United are huge admirers of Newcastle's Lewis Hall. The defender has been targeted by the Red Devils all summer but Magpies manager Matthias Jaissle emphasised that he is not planning to let Hall go. When United icon Peter Schmeichel asked if the full-back could head to Old Trafford, Jaissle exclaimed: "No chance! No chance!"
However, stranger things have happened in previous transfer windows. Newcastle fans will still be feeling the pain of the Alexander Isak saga last summer, where the once-beloved striker was ordered to train separately from the team amid claims of "broken promises" and "misleading" words. The Swede eventually joined Liverpool for £125m after missing multiple Premier League matches and causing a transfer drama that is still talked about one year on.
Hall is a totally different player to his ex-teammate and may not consider trying a stake-out to force a move to United. However, he could see this as a viable option with Jaissle shutting down any speculation despite United still holding a keen interest in the 21-year-old. Hall is valued at around £34m by Transfermarkt, but a £60m price tag has already been mentioned.
£40m deal done
Joshua Zirkzee has been linked with a move away from United for some time. However, Carrick has no intentions of letting the Dutchman leave on the cheap. The 25-year-old has attracted interest from Napoli, Aston Villa and Juventus. The Sun reports that United are demanding at least £40m before considering a permanent sale for the striker.
Zirkzee could make a return to Serie A this summer after spending two seasons with Bologna before heading to Manchester. Football Italia claims that Juve have made enquiries with Napoli also keen. However, both teams may need to make room in their squad before entertaining a move for Zirkzee.
Villa were interested in the striker due to Ollie Watkins' impending exit to Saudi Arabia, but a move back to Italy could be more appealing to the 25-year-old. With Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Marcus Rashford all good options for Carrick, Zirkzee's Old Trafford exit could be on the horizon.
