Newcastle have made it clear to Manchester United that Lewis Hall is not for sale this summer at any price. United are keen to sign a left-back in this window and have kept an eye on Hall for some time, but it seems Michael Carrick won't get his man this summer.
United's left-back search
United prioritised central midfield in the early stages of the window, with Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos arriving from Aston Villa and Chelsea respectively for a combined £87million. Left-back is now a position on the agenda, with Carrick wanting competition for Luke Shaw, who impressed last season but has a chequered injury history.
Academy graduate Harry Amass would be allowed to leave for the right price, while last summer's signing Diego Leon has failed to kick on so far and Tyrell Malacia left on a free transfer. Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui can both play left-back if needed, but Patrick Dorgu has shone further forward, convincing United to go back into the market.
Newcastle's stance
United thought they could take advantage of the turmoil at Newcastle this summer, with Eddie Howe being replaced by Matthias Jaissle. But the departures of Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and the pending exit of Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal has worked against them.
Sky Sports reports that Newcastle have told United in no uncertain terms to look elsewhere. The Magpies first communicated their stance two weeks ago and consider the matter to be settled.
Guimaraes exit impact
Newcastle's hierarchy are under pressure to steady the ship following the exits of Howe, Gordon, Tonali and Guimaraes. Sporting director Ross Wilson has taken the approach of publicly explaining the £75m sale of Guimaraes to Arsenal.
"What we had to weigh up was, very respectfully from Bruno with his behaviour towards us, very emotionally as well, he effectively told us he wanted to leave and move on," he said. "That doesn't mean he can go, but it certainly plays a part in what our thinking is when we hit a certain range of number. There's no part in saying it was part of our strategy and was in our thinking this summer - it wasn't. But we have got to be flexible and react to things that happen."
Unlike Guimaraes, Hall is not agitating for a move. The 21-year-old joined Newcastle for £35m from Chelsea three summers ago and has been a regular fixture on the left side of defence.
Alternatives for United
With Hall appearing to be a dead end, United could turn their attention to Racing Santander's Jorge Salinas, who is considered to be a viable alternative. The 19-year-old is highly rated and has a €16m (£13.7m) release clause, although United could face competition from Barcelona. Bologna's Jhon Lucumi, who is valued at €25m (£21.7m) is another option.
