Whitwell reveals Man Utd plan to sign ‘excellent’ LaLiga star who has €16m release clause | OneFootball

Manchester United are searching the market for a new left-back, and their next target could be the young Jorge Salinas.

After buying Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, INEOS have seemingly put their midfield reboot on hold for the meantime, instead focusing on recruiting a new full-back.

The club need to pair Luke Shaw with a younger understudy who would eventually take the torch from the England international. However, finding the right profile has been a challenging task.

Man Utd turn to Jorge Salinas

At the start of the summer, United’s plan was to sell Harry Amass and bring in Lewis Hall from Newcastle.

The 21-year-old England international was considered the perfect long-term replacement for Shaw. However, the Magpies told off MUFC, insisting that Hall isn’t for sale.

Therefore, Man Utd officials Jason Wilcox and Christopher Vivell have been eyeing alternative profiles, with some sources linking them with Club Brugge’s Joaquin Seys.

In his latest appearance on the Talk of the Devils podcast, MUFC insider Laurie Whitwell weighed in on the club’s left-back search.

The Athletic journalist revealed that Salinas is now the main name circulating at Carrington, with club officials keeping a close eye on the young Spaniard.

Whitwell also confirmed that the 19-year-old would only cost the Red Devils €16 million (or £13.7 million) thanks to a release clause inserted in his contract.

Is Salinas ready for Man United move?

The teenager is a Racing Santander youth product who was promoted to the first team last season, playing an integral role in the club’s successful promotion bid.

The Verdiblancos finished their campaign at the top of Spain’s second-division table, earning a promotion to LaLiga.

However, it remains to be seen whether Salinas will be part of their squad next season, as in addition to Man Utd, he also has several top suitors around Europe, including Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Santander native also impressed at this summer’s Euro U19 tournament, helping La Roja prevail. He was chiefly hailed for his ‘excellent’ performance against Germany in the semi-finals.

But while Salinas might be a notch above Man Utd’s young options, the likes of Amass and Diego Leon, a move to the Premier League at this tender age could represent a cultural shock as well as a major step up in competition for a Spanish teenager who has yet to play first-division football.

Therefore, signing Salinas could be a shrewd move on Man Utd’s part, but expecting the young player to immediately settle at Carrington and break into Michael Carrick’s squad could backfire.

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