Man United in talks with super agent over signing player who Xavi called ‘spectacular’
Man United could hardly have made a worse start to their new Premier League campaign, but at least they’re still busy in the transfer market.
Michael Carrick’s side were beaten 2-0 by newly promoted Hull City at the MKM Stadium, with both goals arriving during a dreadful first half for the visitors.
Semi Ajayi opened the scoring after 17 minutes when United failed to deal with a set piece.
Summer signing Nobel Mendy then powered home a header in the 38th minute to give Hull a lead they never looked likely to surrender.
United had arrived with renewed optimism after finishing last season strongly under Carrick, but they were second best physically and struggled to handle Hull’s direct approach.
The numbers were particularly alarming. United lost a huge 63 per cent of their duels and two thirds of their aerial battles before the interval, according to Sky Sports.
|
Man United player ratings from Hull City defeat |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Player |
Status |
Rating |
Brief assessment |
|
Senne Lammens |
Starter |
7/10 |
Made several saves and received little protection. |
|
Noussair Mazraoui |
Starter |
2/10 |
Struggled defensively and surrendered possession too easily. |
|
Harry Maguire |
Starter |
4/10 |
United’s strongest defender, but still part of a poor collective display. |
|
Ayden Heaven |
Starter |
3/10 |
Had problems coping with Hull’s physical approach. |
|
Luke Shaw |
Starter |
5/10 |
Reasonably steady defensively but offered little going forward. |
|
Andrey Santos |
Starter |
4/10 |
Started positively before becoming careless in possession. |
|
Youri Tielemans |
Starter |
3/10 |
Looked short of sharpness on his competitive United debut. |
|
Bruno Fernandes |
Starter |
4/10 |
Unable to create enough and became visibly frustrated. |
|
Bryan Mbeumo |
Starter |
6/10 |
United’s most threatening attacker without producing a decisive moment. |
|
Matheus Cunha |
Starter |
3/10 |
Looked uncomfortable operating as the central forward. |
|
Patrick Dorgu |
Starter |
2/10 |
Reached shooting positions but lacked quality and went off at half time. |
|
Marcus Rashford |
Substitute |
5/10 |
Added some urgency on the left without changing the game. |
|
Kobbie Mainoo |
Substitute |
5/10 |
Kept possession tidily after his introduction. |
|
Benjamin Sesko |
Substitute |
5/10 |
Provided a focal point but received little service. |
|
Diogo Dalot |
Substitute |
5/10 |
Offered an improvement on Mazraoui. |
|
Shea Lacey |
Substitute |
5/10 |
Had limited time and struggled to become involved. |
Carrick introduced Marcus Rashford at halftime, replacing Patrick Dorgu as United chased the game. It was Rashford’s first competitive appearance for the club in 618 days following his loan spell with Barcelona.
However, the change made little difference.
Bryan Mbeumo forced a late save from Konstantinos Tzolakis, but Hull protected their clean sheet without facing a sustained spell of pressure.
The result was United’s first ever opening day league defeat against a newly promoted team, and it also increased calls for defensive reinforcements before the transfer window closes, with Carrick’s side lacking control and authority across the back line.
United could now attempt to answer those calls with an ambitious move for Barcelona defender Alejandro Balde.
Man United in talks with Jorge Mendes over Alejandro Balde
Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari reports that the chances of Balde leaving the Spanish champions are increasing.
United are said to be holding discussions through his representative, Jorge Mendes, while both the player and Barcelona are now willing to examine possible destinations.
Earlier reports suggested Balde, who Xavi once called ‘spectacular’, wanted to remain with his boyhood club unless Barcelona made it clear that he could leave.
The situation has changed following the permanent return of João Cancelo. The Portuguese international has signed until 2029 and is expected to compete for the left-back position under Hansi Flick, after he terminated his Al Hilal contract.
Balde would give United pace, width and genuine ball-carrying ability on the left.
He came through Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy and is comfortable receiving possession under pressure, making him a natural fit for a team trying to build from the back.
The 22-year-old is also capable of recovering quickly when possession is lost, although his arrival would not solve every problem exposed at Hull.
United still looked vulnerable against crosses and set pieces, areas where a dominant centre back may be more urgently required. Balde is valued at around £43m, as per Transfermarkt, with his deal expiring in two years.
Barcelona are in a strong negotiating position, but their expensive summer business could make a major offer difficult to reject.
Luke Shaw remains an experienced option and Dorgu still has development potential, yet Balde would offer Carrick a younger player with Champions League and title-winning experience.
After the humiliation at Hull, United need a response, and bringing Balde to Old Trafford would be an eye-catching start.
