Manchester United's midfield rebuild this summer has been far from straightforward, with the club missing out on several key targets, including Elliot Anderson, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali.

United appeared to move quickly by agreeing a fee with Atalanta for Éderson, but the deal ultimately fell through after a medical issue emerged. As a result, the club were forced to turn their attention elsewhere, although reports suggest they could revisit the move later in the window.

After a frustrating start to the summer, United finally completed their first midfield signing, announcing the arrival of Andrey Santos from Chelsea for an initial £48 million, with a further £2 million in add-ons. Chelsea has also retained a 10% sell-on clause as part of the agreement.

The 22-year-old, unveiled on Monday afternoon, has spoken of his desire to make his mark at one of Europe's biggest clubs. He could soon be joined by Youri Tielemans, with United reportedly activating the Belgian international's £35 million release clause as they continue to strengthen Michael Carrick's midfield options.

While United will still be prioritising their midfield rebuild, with INEOS looking for one more midfield signing, the club has also identified the left wing, left-back, and potentially a striker as positions that need reinforcements ahead of a Champions League campaign.

Despite Luke Shaw starting every 2025/26 Premier League game, his age and history of injuries make it clear that United need to sign a left-back to provide depth, especially considering Patrick Dorgu is likely to play further forward next season.

As reported by TEAMtalk, United remain firmly focused on signing Newcastle United defender Lewis Hall, with the England international being Michael Carrick's first-choice option to shore up the left side of the defence.

The outlet reports that United's left-back shortlist consisted of Nathaniel Brown, who recently moved to Bayern Munich, Alejandro Balde and Hall, as the club continues to monitor the situation of the pair.

The 21-year-old was one of the biggest breakout stars of the Premier League last season, and if Carrick is able to bring Hall to Old Trafford, the left-back position, which has been a problem at United for years, could finally have a sense of security.

While he was one of the best players in a struggling Newcastle side, Eddie Howe bizarrely didn't play him much, forcing him to play out of position at right-back when he did.

That is speculated to be the main reason Thomas Tuchel surprisingly omitted the 21-year-old from his England squad for the World Cup, and it could have caused some friction between Hall and the club.

The outlet understands that Hall sees the opportunity to work under Carrick and establish himself at United as a very attractive prospect, and is understood to be happy to initially compete for a starting spot with Shaw before eventually becoming the nailed-on starter at Old Trafford for years to come.

Newcastle have already lost two stars in Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali this summer, and could also be set to lose their captain, Bruno Guimarães, amid interest from Arsenal, so it won't be easy for United to pry away another key first-team player from the club.