Manchester United add Jorge Salinas to shortlist as alternative to Lewis Hall

On August 10, 2026, Manchester United added Racing Santander left-back Jorge Salinas to their transfer shortlist during the ongoing summer window. He has emerged as an alternative to Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall as United assess options at left-back.

Manchester United had targeted Lewis Hall as a long-term replacement for Luke Shaw during the current transfer window. The club have already completed several summer signings: Andrey Santos for £48m, Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for £35m, Cristian Orozco from Fortaleza CEIF for £750,000 and reserve goalkeeper Karl Darlow from Leeds United on a free transfer. The left-back spot remains a concern after Luke Shaw turned 31 and has been described as injury-prone. Newcastle’s reported asking price of north of £60m for Hall has made that move appear unlikely.

Salinas was born in Santander and joined Racing Santander’s youth academy in 2019. He became a regular for the club’s reserve team after making his debut on August 31, 2024. He scored his first goal for the B side in September 2024. Those performances led to his promotion to the senior squad.

He made his first-team debut in a Copa del Rey match against Sporting Gijón in December. Salinas finished his debut season with two appearances in the Copa del Rey and one in the league. Those outings preceded his breakthrough last season.

During his breakthrough campaign he made 33 appearances in LaLiga 2, scoring seven goals and registering nine assists. He also made an appearance in the Copa del Rey. The club report described him as becoming a key part of Racing’s defence and one of the best Spanish prospects outside the top flight.

Salinas is a Spain youth international, having scored three goals in nine matches for Spain’s U-19 side. A post by @lauriewhitwell reported he is on Manchester United’s shortlist and that he reportedly has a £16M release clause. The player is nevertheless presented in reports as an alternative option to Lewis Hall.

As a result, Michael Carrick and the Manchester United board will need to look elsewhere to shore up their left-back position during the summer transfer window. United’s decision on whether to pursue Salinas will form part of that search.