Manchester United pivot to loan left-back as Chelsea's Tosin Adarabioyo offered in deadline push

Manchester United are pursuing a loan signing at left-back before the transfer window closes, with their top targets unavailable, and have separately been offered the chance to sign Chelsea centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo for around £20 million.

The Red Devils have already spent roughly £150 million this summer revamping their midfield, bringing in Andrey Santos from Chelsea, Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa and Carlos Baleba from Brighton. Defensive reinforcements, however, remain unfinished business.

United’s pursuit of a permanent left-back has stalled on two fronts. Newcastle United have held firm on Lewis Hall, insisting their full-back is not for sale, while a move for Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde is considered too expensive. With the window entering its final days, manager Michael Carrick — who views Patrick Dorgu primarily as a winger — is also dealing with Luke Shaw entering the final year of his contract.

Transfer insider Fabrizio Romano says United are now considering a loan arrangement similar to the temporary signing of Sergio Reguilon from Tottenham in 2023. “I will not be surprised if they end up with a solution for a player who can be almost a guarantee, so maybe not a superstar name like Balde,” Romano said. “Just as a comparison, you remember when United signed Sergio Reguilon? Something similar — that kind of player, an experienced left-back who can provide competition and also an international profile.”

On the centre-back front, Tosin Adarabioyo appears to have played his last game for Chelsea after being left out of their 3-2 win over Fulham and having his No. 4 shirt reassigned to summer signing Valentin Barco. The 28-year-old, a product of Manchester City’s academy, has been offered to United as Chelsea look to move him on this month.

United’s interest in adding a centre-back is driven by a mounting injury list. Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt have all been sidelined, leaving Harry Maguire as the only fully fit senior option alongside them in that position. Tosin’s reported price tag of around £20 million could make him an attractive short-term solution.