Manchester United Target Fifth Summer Signing as Baleba Deal Approaches
Manchester United open their Premier League campaign at Hull City on Saturday lunchtime, 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, could hand debuts to more than one new arrival at the MKM Stadium. Youri Tielemans, signed from Aston Villa, and Andrey Santos, recruited from Chelsea, are both pushing hard for starting spots.
And there is likely to be another fresh face on the way.
Baleba close – and then a left-back
United’s move for Carlos Baleba is back on and edging towards completion, with only a few final details left to iron out. Once that deal is wrapped up, the club intend to pivot quickly 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 in that role, but Champions League football changes the equation. Carrick will need depth, not just cover, and United are planning accordingly for both the immediate schedule and the seasons to come.
Lewis Hall and Jorge Salinas have emerged as serious options, with Alejandro Balde also mentioned in connection with a possible switch to Old Trafford this week. Hall, now at Newcastle after his Chelsea breakthrough, will not be easy to prise away. Unless Newcastle soften their stance, United may be forced to wait or turn their attention to Spain.
If that happens, one of Salinas or Balde could quickly move to the top of the list.
Arsenal shut door on Lewis-Skelly
One avenue appears to have closed. Any hope United had of tempting Myles Lewis-Skelly away from Arsenal has been firmly shut down by Mikel Arteta.
The Arsenal manager was emphatic when asked about the teenager’s future, insisting the England youth international will “100 per cent” still be at the Emirates Stadium when the window closes. That stance also cools talk of Chelsea making a move.
Arteta doubled down on the importance of homegrown talent, stressing how players raised in Arsenal’s system carry a different kind of value and connection with the club. He spoke of the need to protect those academy products, to nurture them and turn them into central figures for the future.
For United, that means Lewis-Skelly is off the table. The hunt for midfield depth will centre on Baleba – and once that chapter is written, all eyes turn to the left flank and the search for a defender who can live with the demands of a Champions League season.
