REUTERS/Scott Heppell
Manchester United are searching for the final piece of their jigsaw before the transfer window closes, with a left-back right at the top of their wishlist.
The Red Devils entered the summer window with the priority of rebuilding their midfield following the departure of Casemiro at the end of his contract, while Manuel Ugarte suffered a season-ending ACL injury during the World Cup with Uruguay.
INEOS have delivered on that, bringing in Andrey Santos from Chelsea for £48m, plus £2m in add-ons, Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35m, and long-time target Carlos Baleba from Brighton for £65m, plus a further £5m in add-ons.
Now, all attention has turned towards bringing in a new left-back to compete with and provide depth for Luke Shaw, who has entered the final year of his contract at Old Trafford in his 13th season with the club.
A number of names have been linked with the position, including youngster Jorge Salinas, Barcelona star Alejandro Balde, and Newcastle star Lewis Hall, who is understood to be the club's top target.
But with Newcastle not interested in selling, having already lost Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Bruno Guimaraes, Man Utd are looking at alternative options with less than a week remaining in the window.
Each option that has been linked with becoming part of Michael Carrick's squad has got pros and cons, but no deals have materialised at this stage, and nothing is understood to be advanced.
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But while Hall remains a top target, and will likely be looked at once again in the next transfer windows, United already have a top-class left-back option in the squad who can compete with Shaw for a regular starting spot: Noussair Mazraoui.
The former Ajax and Bayern Munich man started the opening day defeat to Hull at right-back, and has featured for much of his club career on the opposite flank to the England international. However, there is a fair argument that the best performances of his career have come as a left-back for the national team.
Shaw Mazraoui Stats
Mazraoui a World-Class Left-Back
Noussair Mazraoui
At international level, Mazraoui is forced to play at left-back because Morocco have arguably the best right-back in the world in Achraf Hakimi at their disposal.
But Mazraoui is still a key member of the squad, using his defensive nous to help the team be incredibly strong at the back, and very difficult to beat.
With Diogo Dalot on the right, plus Leny Yoro also featuring as a right-back on occasion during pre-season, Mazraoui moving over to the opposite side could be an ideal short-term solution for Carrick if they can't find a deal that makes sense before the deadline.
The defence is likely to be the focus of a major rebuild next summer, and this could be the chance to ensure that the club aren't forced into buying twice because they get a deal wrong.