There is no doubt the club like Newcastle’s Lewis Hall. At 21, he is the right age profile and ideally suited to challenging Shaw for his place, with the safety net of there being enough games to keep both men happy.
However, Newcastle don’t want to sell. It would take a huge offer to persuade them otherwise and Manchester United’s powerbrokers have proved on numerous occasions this summer they will not be held to ransom, or overpay, for players.
In addition, how much money do they have to spend?
In published third-quarter financial accounts to 31 March, United confirmed they owed £405.75m in outstanding transfer fees, £171.14m of which was due after more than one year. The club are still to outline what the additional $125m (£91.64m) they borrowed in a wider refinancing announced in June will be used for.
The assumption is £70m for Baleba, equal the sum United paid for Casemiro in 2022 and a figure only exceeded in their history in terms of midfielders by the club record £89m spent on Paul Pogba, is at the top end of what they wanted to pay.
Plenty of alternative left-backs to Hall have been mentioned.
Racing Santander’s 19-year-old Jorge Salinas has a €16m (£13.7m) release clause, but is also coveted by Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde was left out of the 5-0 La Liga victory over Elche by coach Hansi Flick, to allow him to “clear his mind” amid intense transfer speculation, with United among those to be linked with the 22-year-old Spain international. Barcelona are said to value him between €30m (£25.66m) and €40m (£34.22m).
