Manchester United are exploring the market for a new left-back, and their next possible target appears to be young Jorge Salinas.

After completing deals for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans, INEOS seem to have paused their midfield overhaul for now and shifted their attention towards bringing in a new full-back.

The club want to have Luke Shaw alongside a younger deputy who can eventually succeed the England international. However, identifying the right profile has not been straightforward.

At the beginning of the summer, United’s strategy was to sell Harry Amass and sign Lewis Hall from Newcastle United.

The 21-year-old England international was viewed as the ideal long-term successor to Shaw. But Newcastle made it clear to Manchester United that Hall is not available for transfer.

As a result, Manchester United officials Jason Wilcox and Christopher Vivell have been assessing other options, with some reports linking them to Club Brugge defender Joaquin Seys.

Speaking in his latest appearance on the Talk of the Devils podcast, Manchester United insider Laurie Whitwell discussed the club’s ongoing search for a left-back.

The Athletic journalist said Salinas is now the main name being discussed at Carrington, with club officials monitoring the young Spaniard very closely.

Whitwell also stated that the 19-year-old would cost the Red Devils only €16 million, or £13.7 million, because of a release clause in his contract.

The teenager came through the Racing Santander academy and was promoted to the senior side last season, where he played a key role in the club’s successful push for promotion.

The Verdiblancos ended the campaign at the top of Spain’s second division standings, securing promotion to LaLiga.

Even so, it is still unclear whether Salinas will remain part of their squad next season because, apart from Manchester United, he is also attracting interest from several major clubs across Europe, including Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Santander-born player also caught the eye at this summer’s Euro Under-19 tournament, helping Spain emerge victorious. He was especially praised for his ‘excellent’ display against Germany in the semi-finals.

However, while Salinas may be slightly ahead of Manchester United’s younger options such as Amass and Diego Leon, a move to the Premier League at such a young age could bring a cultural adjustment as well as a significant rise in competitive level for a Spanish teenager who is yet to play top-flight football.

For that reason, signing Salinas could prove to be a smart piece of business by Manchester United, but expecting the youngster to settle immediately at Carrington and force his way into Michael Carrick’s squad could ultimately backfire.