Man United target Lewis Hall U-turn as Zirkzee £40m exit nears end of window

Manchester United are exploring a late swoop for Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall and are prepared to sell striker Joshua Zirkzee for a minimum of £40m before the transfer window closes, with Carlos Baleba’s £70m arrival from Brighton already agreed.

United manager Michael Carrick is looking to reshape his squad after a 2-0 opening-day defeat to Hull City, and Hall has been a priority target throughout the summer. Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle has been unambiguous in his stance — when asked by former United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel whether Hall could move to Old Trafford, Jaissle replied: “No chance! No chance!” — but United retain a keen interest in the 21-year-old.

The situation draws comparisons to last summer’s Alexander Isak saga at Newcastle, in which the Swedish striker trained separately from the squad amid reported tensions before completing a £125m move to Liverpool. Hall is a different profile of player to Isak and may not pursue a similar route, though United’s continued interest could yet test Newcastle’s resolve. Transfermarkt values Hall at around £34m, but a figure of £60m has already been floated in negotiations.

On the outgoing side, Zirkzee’s future at Old Trafford appears increasingly uncertain. The 25-year-old Dutch striker has attracted concrete interest from Napoli, Aston Villa and Juventus, and Carrick has made clear he will not sanction a cut-price sale. United are holding firm at a minimum asking price of £40m before they will consider any deal.

Carrick, speaking after the Hull defeat, was measured in his assessment of where the club stands heading into the final days of the window. “It’s one game. It’s the first game of the season so it’s disappointing enough and it hurts, of course it does,” he said. “But it doesn’t change the whole course of the direction the team or the football club is going in. We’ll stay calm, stay in the bubble and focus on next week.”

With Baleba’s medical already completed and the window set to shut within days, United’s ability to land Hall will likely depend on whether Newcastle’s position softens under sustained pressure — or whether Zirkzee’s sale generates the funds and squad space to make a higher bid viable.