There’s little doubt the club admires Newcastle’s Lewis Hall. At 21, he fits the ideal age profile and looks well-suited to pushing Shaw for minutes, with enough fixtures to keep both satisfied.
However, Newcastle do not want to sell. It would take a major bid to sway them, and Manchester United’s decision-makers have repeatedly shown this summer they won’t be held to ransom or overpay.
There’s also the question of how much they can actually spend.
United’s published third-quarter accounts to 31 March show £405.75m in outstanding transfer fees, £171.14m of which falls due after more than a year. The club has yet to clarify how the additional $125m (£91.64m) borrowed in June’s wider refinancing will be used.
Assuming a £70m fee for Baleba—matching what United paid for Casemiro in 2022 and only behind the club-record £89m for Paul Pogba among midfielders—that appears to be near the top end of their intended spend.
Plenty of alternative left-backs to Hall have been floated.
Racing Santander’s 19-year-old Jorge Salinas has a €16m (£13.7m) release clause, though Atlético Madrid are also interested.
Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde was left out of the 5-0 La Liga win over Elche by coach Hansi Flick to let him “clear his mind” amid intense transfer talk, with United among the clubs linked to the 22-year-old Spain international. Barcelona are reportedly valuing him between €30m (£25.66m) and €40m (£34.22m).