Crystal Palace Rejects Adam Wharton Exit Amid United Left-Back Search
Pierre Sage has drawn a firm line in the sand over Adam Wharton’s future.
Crystal Palace’s new head coach insists the England international will not be leaving Selhurst Park this summer, despite sustained interest from Manchester United. With several senior players already sold, Sage made it clear he will not sanction another major departure.
“We sold big players and now I think it's not the moment to do that,” he said before Palace’s return to Premier League action this weekend. “Adam can play at a big club but I think one year with us, one year with a new dynamic, will be good for him and we need him.”
United will have to look elsewhere. And they are.
United’s left-back puzzle
Having pushed ahead with a move for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, United are now turning their attention to the left side of defence. Club officials have made contact with the camp of Barcelona full-back Alejandro Balde as they explore options to reinforce Michael Carrick’s back line before the window shuts.
The response from Spain is not encouraging. United have been told Balde is happy at Barça, a stance that makes any deal complicated at best.
Carrick’s options are thinning. With Patrick Dorgu viewed as a possibility higher up the pitch and youngster Harry Amass expected to leave, Luke Shaw stands as the only established left-back. Shaw, 31, has a history of injury issues, even if he did come through last season unscathed.
That vulnerability is driving United’s urgency.
Infobae reports that United have now “burst into negotiations” for Racing Santander left-back Jorge Salinas. The 19-year-old, also on the radar of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, has a reported £13.7m release clause in his current deal. The structure of United’s offer is not detailed, but their interest has finally moved beyond monitoring.
On top of that, GIVEMESPORT claims United have been offered RB Leipzig defender David Raum, who is in the final year of his contract and could be sold to avoid a free transfer exit. Salinas has also been presented as an option, underlining how aggressively United are scouring the market for a solution on that flank.
Baleba deal nears as Carrick pushes for more
While the search for a left-back intensifies, United are closing in on Baleba. A bid of around £60m plus £5m in add-ons has gone in to Brighton, with confidence growing that an agreement will be reached. The Cameroonian has been keen on the move since United first made enquiries last summer, and an understanding with Brighton is now expected.
Baleba would join Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans as new midfield arrivals at Old Trafford in this window. Those signings come after Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s serious injury at the World Cup left a sizeable gap in the centre of the pitch.
Carrick has been open about his demands.
“I just think we're looking to strengthen the squad,” he said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Hull City. “We're certainly working towards that, making the most of the situation that we have and trying to improve things and trying to move forward.
“We're certainly trying to make the most of the opportunities to finish the window stronger than we went into it. And I think we're a good way to doing that, so far.”
United have already brought in Karl Darlow, Santos and Tielemans. Inside the club, there was never any expectation that they would stop there. The final fortnight of the window was always earmarked as decisive, and it is playing out exactly that way.
Rashford’s future edges towards clarity
One of the big internal questions now looks closer to an answer.
Marcus Rashford has returned from his season-long loan at Barcelona and has been training with United as the new campaign looms. The club remain open to offers for the 28-year-old forward in the closing stages of the window, but momentum is shifting towards him staying.
Carrick, asked directly whether Rashford had expressed a desire to remain at Old Trafford beyond deadline day, chose to highlight his application on the training ground.
He said Rashford has trained “fantastically well”, a pointed compliment at a time when decisions on his future are being weighed. The growing expectation is that he will be reintegrated into the squad for the season ahead unless a significant late bid arrives.
Season starts, pressure rises
All of this unfolds against the backdrop of a new Premier League season kicking off. Arsenal open the campaign at home to newly-promoted Coventry City, before United face their own test against another promoted side, Hull City, in Saturday’s early game.
Carrick heads into that fixture knowing his squad is still being built on the fly. A major midfield signing is close. A left-back remains a glaring need. Rashford’s situation hangs in the balance.
And over at Selhurst Park, Pierre Sage has made his stance crystal clear: Adam Wharton will not be the solution to United’s problems this summer.
