Man United transfer news: after Lewis Hall, another summer left-back target off the table

With Lewis Hall having just signed a new contract with Newcastle, another Manchester United left-back target looks set to follow suit.

Manchester United had hoped to sign a left-back this summer to compete with Luke Shaw and add depth at the position.

However, no player ended up joining, despite long-standing interest in Lewis Hall and Alejandro Balde in particular. With Champions League football to navigate this season, the Manchester club is expected to revive its search in the winter window.

However, the Red Devils' top summer priority, Lewis Hall, has just signed a new contract with Newcastle. Under these circumstances, a departure for the Englishman this winter now looks off the table for the English giants.

As a result, United will need to explore alternative options. This summer, the club pursued several other targets, without success.

TEAMtalk reports that Michael Carrick's side were rebuffed by Manchester City over Rayan Ait-Nouri on the final day of the summer transfer window. The Red Devils also showed interest in Ian Maatsen, but Aston Villa were unwilling to open the door to a sale.

"He (Ian Maatsen) was a player considered by United, admired by Manchester United, but Aston Villa made it clear that, having sold Lucas Digne, they were not going to sell Ian Maatsen as well," revealed Fabrizio Romano.

This avenue also appears to be off the table for the Red Devils heading into the next winter transfer window.

"For Maatsen, the new contract is practically finalised. So I can confirm that Maatsen is going to sign a new contract with Aston Villa. As a result, I don't anticipate any movement in the January transfer window," added the Italian journalist. A further blow for Manchester United in their difficult search for a left-back.

As it stands, then, Alejandro Balde appears to be the only remaining summer target from the Red Devils who could still be available next winter.

The Barcelona full-back has still not played a single minute this season, and should that situation continue over the coming months, a departure will become inevitable for Balde, despite his affection for the Catalan club, where he came through the academy.

Get FREE daily news and in-depth previews for games from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football — straight to your inbox.