Manchester United could surprisingly use £70million summer signing Carlos Baleba at left-back as Michael Carrick’s side consider ending their search for competition for Luke Shaw.
United have explored several left-back options during the final weeks of the transfer window, but their substantial investment in Baleba could result in the club deciding against another permanent addition.
BBC Manchester United reporter Simon Stone says United may now opt not to sign another left-back, with Carrick already having several alternatives inside his squad.
Carlos Baleba could provide Man Utd left-back cover
Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui can both switch across from the right side of defence if Shaw is unavailable.
Baleba represents the more surprising option.
Stone reports that United could use the Cameroon international as a full-back because of his left-footed profile. The midfielder has also previously played in the position for Brighton despite being recruited primarily to strengthen Carrick’s midfield.
United committed up to £70m to sign Baleba from Brighton this summer as part of a major midfield rebuild.
His versatility could therefore influence how the club approaches the remaining days of the window.
There will be no immediate opportunity to test Baleba at left-back, however.
Michael Carrick confirmed on Friday that Baleba will miss Sunday’s meeting with Ipswich because of an ankle problem, with the 22-year-old expected to remain unavailable for another two or three weeks.
Carrick stressed that United knew about the problem before completing the transfer and do not consider it a major concern. Reuters also reports that United hope Baleba could recover before the international break.
Alejandro Balde deal depends on Barcelona stance
United have not completely abandoned the possibility of signing another specialist left-back.
Stone says the club like Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde, but would currently only consider pursuing him on loan.
Barcelona’s stance creates the problem.
The Spanish champions are currently insisting Balde will only leave through a permanent transfer, leaving a considerable gap between the two clubs’ positions.
That follows ReadManUtd’s report that United have already encountered financial obstacles in their pursuit of Balde.
Joshua Zirkzee’s future could yet affect the situation.
Fiorentina have submitted an official proposal to sign the United forward, and Stone reports that the financial details of any Zirkzee departure could influence United’s ability to revisit their left-back options.
For now, however, United appear increasingly prepared to begin the season with Shaw as first choice and use the versatility already available to Carrick rather than force another expensive transfer.
