Manchester United have reportedly identified Racing Santander full-back Jorge Salinas as their backup plan if their bid to get Lewis Hall from Newcastle United fails.
It was reported earlier this week that the £60 million-rated 21-year-old is interested in joining Manchester United. However, Newcastle are reportedly adamant that they will not let their left-back go after having already lost some of their key players. Brazilian Bruno Guimarães is also close to joining champions Arsenal, meaning Hall will become a non-negotiable name for the Magpies, who had just appointed Matthias Jaissle as the new gaffer.
Former Chelsea talent Hall featured prominently in the jersey-reveal promotional photoshoots for the Magpies, further underlining his importance to the squad. This is seen as a signal to United that they will not be getting their man this summer. However, several players in the past have ultimately left for new challenges after having featured in promotional events.
Manchester United are convinced that they cannot do without a quality backup to Luke Shaw. Though experienced, Shaw is notorious for his fitness issues and will require a backup as the Red Devils return to European football. Even if Shaw remains fit, the increased number of games means there is room for another left-back in the squad.
If the deal to get Hall collapses, the club have decided to pursue Jorge Salinas instead, reports said. The 19-year-old is said to be already on the radar of Barcelona following his standout performance in La Liga 2 (Segunda División). Racing Santander are now back in the top tier after claiming the league title.
Who is Jorge Salinas?
Santander are reportedly asking a fee of around €16 million (£13.7 million) for the youngster, who is versatile enough to play as a centre-back. As per reports, United are hopeful because Barcelona's budget for him has an upper cap of €8 million (£6.8 million).
A Racing academy graduate, Salinas is not a towering full-back (6'0") but is said to be muscular and tough enough already to feature at the elite level. The left-footed Spaniard is known for his agility, balance, ball progression, and pace. His crossing capability and passing range are found impressive by scouts, who have also praised his readiness to take calculated risks — mainly underlapping runs into central areas and taking the ball directly to the byline.
