Chelsea eye Rashford as United face £38.5m asking price for Balde after Hull defeat

Manchester United’s Premier League campaign began with a sobering 2-0 defeat at Hull City on the opening day, with goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy leaving Ruben Amorim’s side with serious questions to answer before the transfer window closes on September 1.

Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans both made their competitive debuts for the club at the MKM Stadium, but the defensive frailties proved costly. Carlos Baleba had already joined from Brighton earlier in the week, though he may prove to be the final arrival of the summer.

Rashford back on Chelsea’s radar

Chelsea have not ruled out a late move for Marcus Rashford, according to The Independent, though any approach would depend on the London club first moving on several of their own forwards. Nicolas Jackson, Liam Delap and Mykhailo Mudryk are among those attracting interest from elsewhere.

It would not be the first time Chelsea have signed a wide forward from United in recent windows — Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho both spent time at Stamford Bridge, though neither move proved a notable success. Rashford, who spent the past season and a half on loan, returned to Old Trafford during pre-season and made a second-half appearance at Hull — his first competitive outing for his parent club since December 2024.

Balde price tag emerges

A permanent transfer for Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde could cost United as much as £38.5 million, The Athletic reports, though a loan arrangement is also being explored as a potentially more viable route.

Balde was left out of Barcelona’s squad for their weekend fixture against Elche, with manager Hansi Flick offering a candid explanation. “I spoke with Balde this morning and told him that I think he’s not here at 100 per cent, clear your mind and then we’ll talk,” Flick said.

The Spaniard is one of several left-backs linked with a move to Old Trafford, alongside Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas. A deal for Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, however, appears to have stalled for now.