Brighton keep Kadioglu as United's £40m left-back pursuit hits a wall

Manchester United’s pursuit of Brighton left-back Ferdi Kadioglu appears to have hit a significant obstacle, with the Turkish international returning to the Brighton bench and the Seagulls giving no indication they are willing to sell.

Reports from Turkey earlier this week claimed Kadioglu was on the verge of joining United in a £40 million deal, a story that gained some credibility given his surprise absence from Brighton’s Premier League opener against Aston Villa. United had been searching for a left-back after Lewis Hall opted to remain at Newcastle, with Joaquin Seys, Jorge Salinas and Alejandro Balde all linked during August without any deal materialising.

Kadioglu’s omission from the Villa game was officially attributed to a minor injury, but the timing of the transfer reports prompted speculation that something more significant was behind his absence. Brighton and United had already been in contact over the transfer of Carlos Baleba, lending the Kadioglu links a degree of plausibility.

However, Brighton’s form makes it difficult to see why they would move the 25-year-old on. The Seagulls have won both of their home fixtures 4-0 this season, with Olivier Boscagli filling in at left-back without any apparent drop in performance. Brighton also sealed their place in the Conference League with a victory over Norwegian side Tromsø, giving the club European football to plan around.

United, meanwhile, are dealing with their own injury concerns in midfield. New signing Carlos Baleba, who joined from Brighton as part of a summer spending spree that also brought in Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos for a combined £155 million, is set to miss several weeks with an ankle problem.

“He’s got a little ankle issue,” head coach Michael 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.”

Tielemans and Santos started together in midfield during the defeat to Hull City but struggled, and that partnership may be required again while Baleba recovers. United face a demanding schedule in the Champions League, with home ties against Bayern Munich, AS Roma, RB Leipzig and Sabah, and away trips to Atlético Madrid, Sporting CP, Villarreal and Como.