Manchester United's reported pursuit of Ferdi Kadioglu has been handed a twist after Brighton decided to keep the left-back on the bench once again. The Turkey international was surprisingly absent from the Seagulls' Premier League opener against Aston Villa, with a minor injury cited as the reason for his omission.
Old Trafford chiefs have been looking at alternatives to Lewis Hall, who is set to stay at Newcastle United. Joaquin Seys, Jorge Salinas and Alejandro Balde have all been linked throughout August, but none of the trio look set to join. Interest in Kadioglu emerged earlier this week, with claims in his home country suggesting he was set to join United in a £40million deal.
Kadioglu's Brighton Situation
Despite the speculation, Kadioglu was again named among the substitutes for Brighton's last two home matches. Olivier Boscagli has started in the left-back position instead, with the Seagulls winning both of those outings 4-0, which suggests there is no reason to rush Kadioglu back. The latter of those triumphs was against Norwegian side Tromso, which sealed Brighton's spot in the Conference League.
There could have been some truth to the transfer reports given his surprise absence last weekend and considering the two clubs had been in contact for the transfer of Carlos Baleba. Kadioglu managed to nail down the left-back spot at the Amex Stadium last season following an injury-plagued first campaign.
United's European and Transfer Plans
United will be competing in Europe this season and will face Bayern Munich, AS Roma, RB Leipzig and Sabah at home, while they will travel to Atletico Madrid, Sporting CP, Villarreal and Como. A return to the Champions League has seen United attempt to strengthen their squad depth with three new midfielders joining for a combined £155m.
The latest of those is Baleba, with Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos having already joined and started as the midfield pivot in the defeat to Hull City. They both struggled, but that same partnership may need to be deployed again as Baleba has an injury that may stop him from featuring until after the international break.
Injury Update on Baleba
"He's got a little ankle issue," Carrick said on Friday. "So, maybe a couple of weeks or so, maybe three weeks, we'll see. But we knew that before, so it's no major issue. It'll be great to have him back when we can."
