Man United target left-back after Baleba deal as Arteta rules out Lewis-Skelly exit

Manchester United are planning to move for a new left-back as their next transfer priority once the signing of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba is completed, according to the Manchester Evening News. The Cameroonian is set to join Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans in Michael Carrick’s midfield options, though he will not be available for Saturday’s Premier League opener against Hull City.

With the transfer window still open for more than a week, United are expected to turn their attention to the left-back position once the Baleba deal is fully wrapped up. Luke Shaw remains the club’s first choice in that role, but the demands of Champions League football have created an appetite for a player capable of providing immediate competition and eventually succeeding the England international.

Lewis Hall of Newcastle, Jorge Salinas, and Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde have all been identified as potential targets. However, Newcastle’s firm stance on Hall could complicate any approach for the former Chelsea defender, potentially forcing United to look elsewhere or wait.

On Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has effectively ended speculation linking the 19-year-old with a move to United or Chelsea. Arteta stated the left-back will “100 per cent” still be an Arsenal player when the window closes.

“The players that have been raised in our system, and they feel generally that love and that connection with the club, bring something else, there’s no question about that,” Arteta said. “We need to look after them in a really special way because they bring value that is very difficult to find. That’s why, when we can, we want to protect those assets as much as possible, develop them and make them extremely important for the club.”

The comments appear to draw a definitive line under any hopes of prising Lewis-Skelly away from the Emirates this summer, leaving United to focus their defensive recruitment efforts elsewhere ahead of the new season.