Manchester United are taking concrete steps in their search for a new left-back, with Jorge Salinas now emerging as a genuine target.

On Wednesday morning, it emerged that Manchester United are in advanced talks with Brighton over Carlos Baleba, whose signing would complete Michael Carrick’s revamped midfield.

With the centre of the pitch close to being addressed, the left-back position is now set to become the absolute top priority for Manchester United officials for the remainder of the summer transfer window.

At the beginning of the summer, Lewis Hall was viewed as United’s leading target for the left-back role. The 21-year-old came through Chelsea’s academy and has already established himself at Newcastle United, making him an ideal long-term successor to Luke Shaw.

However, Newcastle United are unwilling to let the young full-back leave after already selling Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon this summer.

On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell reported that Manchester United have effectively chosen to postpone their move for Hall until next year and could instead switch to the more affordable Salinas this summer.

The 19-year-old came through the Racing Santander youth system, broke into the first team last year and helped the club win promotion to LaLiga by providing seven assists in 33 league appearances.

In his latest update on Manchester United’s RoundTable, Carrington insider Sully said that INEOS have in fact held discussions with Salinas’ representatives. The teenager is regarded as a player with significant potential.

The Red Devils would not need to negotiate with Racing Santander, as they could simply activate his €16 million release clause.

That said, Sully stressed that Salinas is not the only player on the shortlist, with United also continuing to monitor David Raum closely.

The 28-year-old Germany international currently plays for RB Leipzig and is a former team-mate of Benjamin Sesko.

On Sunday, Salinas made his first appearance in the top flight as Racing Santander drew 2-2 with Villarreal in the opening round of LaLiga.

By contrast, Raum has made 143 Bundesliga appearances, 19 in the Champions League, and has won 39 caps for Germany. In terms of experience, the two players are therefore impossible to compare.

Even so, at 28, Raum has still not played for an elite club, despite having been linked with several in the past.

Salinas, meanwhile, looks like a player with a big future ahead of him, and there is already strong interest from a number of clubs for his signature.

For that reason, signing the Spain Under-19 international for £13.7 million could turn out to be one of the smartest deals of the summer, provided the youngster goes on to fulfil the promise he has shown so early.

In addition, with Shaw firmly holding down a starting place, Manchester United would still have the flexibility to bring in a raw talent and ease him gradually into Carrick’s plans.