Advanced talks held as Manchester United target Ian Maatsen's future closer to being resolved | OneFootball

Aston Villa are reportedly in advanced talks over a new contract for Ian Maatsen after recent transfer interest from Manchester United.

The Red Devils were linked with a number of left-back targets over the summer but ultimately failed to bring any of them in, so it remains a position they’ll surely be looking at for upcoming transfer windows.

Man Utd were notably linked with Newcastle’s Lewis Hall as one of their top targets, but moved for him too late in the summer, according to the Athletic.

See below as Fabrizio Romano also reported on United considering Maatsen as an option, though Football Insider now report on him advancing in new deal talks with Villa…

Maatsen has been a key player for Villa and could surely have had a positive impact at Old Trafford, so this latest update looks like bad news for United.

Football Insider note that Maatsen’s current contract at Villa Park runs until 2030, so they’re not under huge pressure to sell anyway, but it seems they’re very much aiming to give him a new deal to fight off interest from MUFC or anyone else.

Ian Maatsen applauds the Aston Villa fans (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Who could Manchester United sign at left-back?

It perhaps seems unlikely that Maatsen was United’s top target, even if he was someone they considered at one point towards the end of the summer.

The Dutchman is probably not quite in the same league as someone like Hall at Newcastle, so that will probably continue to be a name worth watching out for.

There has also been some interest in Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde, as Romano reported exclusively for CaughtOffside, though the Spain international’s preference for now has been to stay at the Nou Camp.