Manchester United Pursue Carlos Baleba as Summer Signings Continue
Manchester United open their Premier League campaign at Saturday lunchtime away to newly promoted Hull City, but the real noise around Old Trafford is still coming from the transfer market.
Michael Carrick, now confirmed as permanent manager after steering United back into the Champions League during his interim spell, has already seen several new faces walk through the door. One or more could go straight into the XI at the MKM Stadium. The rebuild, though, is clearly not finished.
Baleba first, left-back next
In midfield, the picture is shifting quickly. Youri Tielemans, signed from Aston Villa, and Andrey Santos, brought in from Chelsea, are both pushing hard to start against Hull. They might soon have fresh competition.
United’s move for Carlos Baleba is back on and edging towards completion, with only what are described as “a few loose ends” still to be tied up before the deal is finalised. Once that happens, the club are expected to pivot straight to their next priority: a new left-back, which would represent a fifth senior signing of the summer.
Luke Shaw remains the undisputed first-choice on the left of defence, but Champions League football changes the equation. United know they cannot lean on Shaw alone across four competitions and are exploring options to strengthen both immediately and for the long term.
Lewis Hall, now at Newcastle after his Chelsea breakthrough, has been earmarked as a leading candidate. Jorge Salinas and Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde have also been discussed as potential solutions, with both Spaniards viewed as players who could fit United’s evolving style.
Newcastle, though, are standing firm on Hall. Unless that stance softens, United may be forced to bide their time or accelerate interest in Salinas or Balde. One of that duo could quickly jump to the top of the list if a breakthrough on Hall proves impossible.
Arteta shuts door on Lewis-Skelly
One avenue does appear closed. Hopes of tempting Arsenal starlet Myles Lewis-Skelly to Old Trafford have been all but extinguished by Mikel Arteta.
The Arsenal manager moved decisively to quash talk of an exit for the highly rated teenager, who has been linked with both United and Chelsea. Arteta insisted Lewis-Skelly will “100 per cent” still be at the Emirates Stadium when the window shuts.
He then underlined exactly why Arsenal are so determined to keep him.
“The players that have been raised in our system, and they feel generally that love and that connection with the club, bring something else, there's no question about that,” Arteta said. “We need to look after them in a really special way because they bring value that is very difficult to find.
“That's why, when we can, we want to protect those assets as much as possible, develop them and make them extremely important for the club.”
For United, that closes off one of the more intriguing youth-market possibilities of the summer. For Carrick, the message is clear: the squad he takes to Hull will not be the finished article, and the next few weeks will define how strong a hand he holds when the Champions League nights return.
