Manchester United are pushing to complete at least one more significant signing before the transfer window closes, with a new left-back high on manager Michael Carrick's wish list as the club enters the final stretch of deadline dealings.
Carrick has already overseen a busy summer at Old Trafford, with seven new faces arriving at the club. The marquee addition has been Carlos Baleba, who joined for a fee in the region of £70 million after being tracked by United for a considerable period. The Cameroon international became the third midfielder to arrive during the window, following the signings of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, with the pair costing a combined £87 million.
Despite the volume of incoming talent, gaps remain in Carrick's squad, particularly at left-back. Luke Shaw, who is entering the final year of his contract, is currently the only senior specialist in that position, prompting United's recruitment team to search for reinforcements ahead of the club's return to Champions League football this season.
Barcelona full-back Alejandro Balde had been on United's radar, but according to reports from journalist Fabrizio Romano, the deal was deemed too costly to pursue. Attention has since turned elsewhere as the club looks to bolster its defensive options before the window shuts.
In the meantime, academy product Harry Amass has been given opportunities to impress during pre-season, though he was left out of the matchday squad for last weekend's surprising 2-0 defeat away to newly-promoted Hull City. Speaking about the club's approach to the position, Carrick acknowledged the fluid nature of the situation.
"It comes to this stage and this is the stage of the window, there is always different scenarios," Carrick said. "We've been really pleased with Harry, he's done really well in pre-season."
Amass, 19, could be the next academy graduate to depart the club this summer, following in the footsteps of fellow youth product Toby Collyer. Collyer is on the verge of completing a permanent transfer to West Bromwich Albion, in a deal reportedly worth an initial £3 million that could climb to £7.6 million through performance-related add-ons. United are said to have negotiated a 40 per cent sell-on clause as part of the agreement.
The move represents a return to The Hawthorns for the 22-year-old, who spent the first half of last season on loan there. Despite interest from Hull City and Middlesbrough, who reportedly also submitted offers for his services, Collyer opted to rejoin West Brom on a permanent basis.
United's business is not limited to incomings, with further departures expected before the deadline passes. Joshua Zirkzee is reportedly in advanced discussions with Italian side Fiorentina regarding a season-long loan move, which would see the Dutch forward seek regular football away from Old Trafford.
The future of Marcus Rashford also continues to generate speculation, though sources indicate a switch to a rival Premier League club has been ruled out as a possibility. Meanwhile, the futures of Amass and Zirkzee remain the most pressing items on United's agenda as the summer transfer window draws to a close, with Carrick keen to finalize his squad before Champions League commitments begin in earnest.
Based on reporting from Standard Football.