Manchester United’s summer rebuild will run down to the wire on Tuesday evening, with the club still weighing a late move for a left-back that has eluded them all window.

Michael Carrick, handed the job on a permanent basis in May after several months as interim, has one obvious gap left to fill: cover and competition for Luke Shaw. And with hours to go before the English window shuts, the name most closely tied to that slot is a 19-year-old the wider Premier League public has yet to hear of.

Salinas emerges as the cut-price option

Jorge Salinas, the Racing Santander full-back, has moved to the front of the United shortlist after more expensive targets fell away. The Spain youth international carries a €16m (£13.7m) release clause.

Salinas came through the Racing academy, is comfortable at either full-back or centre-back, and played in Spain’s second tier last season, where he registered seven assists. His agent is Jorge Mendes, who has also been the point of contact for United’s parallel talks over Alejandro Balde.

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Hall and Balde slip out of reach

Lewis Hall, Newcastle United’s England international, was Old Trafford’s first choice all summer, but Newcastle have resisted selling after other departures this window.

Balde is the other name that surfaced late, with United understood to prefer a loan structure over a permanent deal that would cost around £35m. Barcelona’s stance on selling, rather than the player’s own, is reported as the sticking point.

Carrick’s caveat after a heavy midfield rebuild

Carrick has publicly suggested this will not be a quiet deadline day, but Old Trafford sources have insisted the club will move only if the right opportunity arises and will not force through a signing they do not fully back.

That caveat matters because the summer has already delivered a heavy overhaul elsewhere. According to TNT Sports, the midfield has been rebuilt around Carlos Baleba from Brighton (£65m), Andrey Santos from Chelsea (£48m) and Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa (£35m), with Casemiro leaving on a free to Inter Miami and Rasmus Hojlund sold to Napoli for £38m.

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Outgoing traffic could yet pick up before the window closes. Joshua Zirkzee has been linked with Juventus and Fiorentina, while academy left-back Harry Amass may leave on loan.

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