Crystal Palace Blocks Adam Wharton Exit Amid United's Left-Back Search
Pierre Sage has drawn a firm line in the sand over Adam Wharton’s future – and it does not lead to Old Trafford.
The new Crystal Palace head coach confirmed the England international will not be leaving Selhurst Park this summer, despite sustained interest from Manchester United. Palace have already cashed in on several big names, and Sage made it clear that the midfield anchor will not be the next out of the door.
“We sold big players and now I think it's not the moment to do that,” he said ahead of Palace’s Premier League return this weekend. “Adam can play at a big club but I think one year with us, one year with a new dynamic, will be good for him and we need him.”
United will have to look elsewhere. And they are.
United’s left-back puzzle
Having moved aggressively for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, United’s recruitment team have turned their attention to the left side of defence.
The club have made contact with the representatives of Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde as they explore options to strengthen Michael Carrick’s back line before the window closes. The message back from Spain is blunt: Balde is happy where he is, and prising him away will be anything but simple.
The need is obvious. With Patrick Dorgu viewed as an option further up the pitch and youngster Harry Amass expected to leave, Carrick is effectively left with only Luke Shaw as a senior left-back. Shaw, now 31, has a history of injury problems, even if he did come through last season unscathed.
So United are widening the net.
Reports in Spain say the club have finally entered the race for Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas. The 19-year-old, also on the radar of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, has a reported £13.7m release clause in his contract. The exact structure of United’s offer is not detailed, but Infobae claims they have “burst into negotiations” as they look to secure a long-term solution on that flank.
Another name on the table is David Raum. According to GIVEMESPORT, RB Leipzig have offered the German international to United, with Raum now in the final year of his deal and the Bundesliga side open to a sale to avoid losing him on a free. Salinas is also said to have been offered, underlining how sharply the market has swung towards Old Trafford’s need.
United have already explored Lewis Hall and Myles Lewis-Skelly, yet neither pursuit has led anywhere. The clock is ticking, and the left-back slot remains the most obvious gap in Carrick’s squad.
Baleba deal edges closer
While the full-back search gathers pace, United are close to landing Baleba in a move that would continue a sweeping overhaul of their midfield.
The club have already brought in Karl Darlow, Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans this summer, but the plan was always to keep going. A bid of around £60m plus £5m in add-ons has been submitted to Brighton for Baleba, and an agreement is expected with the player eager to join after initial contact last summer.
Baleba’s arrival would see him join Santos and Tielemans as the new core in the middle of the park, a response to Casemiro’s departure and the serious injury suffered by Manuel Ugarte at the World Cup. United wanted more legs, more energy, more depth. They are close to getting it.
Carrick, speaking before this weekend’s trip to Hull City, did not hide his desire for further reinforcements.
“I just think we're looking to strengthen the squad,” he said. “We're certainly working towards that, making the most of the situation that we have and trying to improve things and trying to move forward.
“We're certainly trying to make the most of the opportunities to finish the window stronger than we went into it. And I think we're a good way to doing that, so far.”
The message is clear: Baleba is unlikely to be the final arrival.
Rashford’s future back in the spotlight
One player already back through the door is Marcus Rashford. After a season-long loan at Barcelona, the forward has returned to Carrick’s squad with questions still swirling over his long-term future.
United remain open to offers for the 28-year-old as the window enters its decisive phase, but the tone around Rashford has shifted. His performances in training have impressed the manager and strengthened the case for reintegration.
Carrick praised the forward for training “fantastically well” when asked whether Rashford had made it clear he wanted to stay beyond deadline day. For now, the expectation is that he will be part of United’s plans for the new campaign unless a significant bid lands late.
New season, same Old Trafford tension
United always looked destined to be one of the main protagonists in the final fortnight of this summer’s market. They have already reshaped key areas, pushed hard for Baleba and opened multiple fronts in their hunt for a left-back.
All this with the Premier League curtain already lifting.
Arsenal launch the defence of their title at home to newly-promoted Coventry City today. United follow on Saturday lunchtime, away to another newcomer in Hull City, with Carrick’s side trying to start fast while the recruitment team race the deadline.
Palace have shut down one avenue by locking Wharton in for another year. United’s answer will come not in the boardroom rhetoric, but in who actually walks out of the tunnel in red over the next two weeks – and who doesn’t.
