Former Real Madrid Left-Back Available for Free but Manchester United Still Say No, Ratcliffe Dislikes Three Major Issues! Red Devils Become Hall’s Wage-Rise Tool

Luke Shaw's absence from training this week has attracted attention, and everyone knows Manchester United lack a new left-back. Although the Premier League summer transfer window has closed, signing free agents is not restricted by that deadline. There are indeed well-known free left-backs available on the market, including former Real Madrid and Bayern Munich defender David Alaba. However, although Alaba could be signed without a transfer fee, Manchester United have already abandoned that opportunity.

The 34-year-old Alaba left the Bernabeu this summer, ending his five-year spell with Real Madrid, and is currently searching for a new club. He can play both left-back and centre-back, two positions where Manchester United happen to need reinforcements. In addition, Alaba has won the Champions League, has extensive experience and is a leader-level player who could bring experience to Carrick's team. However, the club have decided not to act because they insist on signing younger players with greater long-term potential.

According to the Manchester Evening News, although recent reports suggested Alaba could move to Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS management team have ruled out that possibility. Manchester United have decided to wait until next summer to rebuild the defence, including the centre-back and left-back positions.

Alaba's age alone no longer fits Ratcliffe's signing criteria, and he has two other issues. Fitness is another concern. Alaba has suffered from injuries in recent seasons, and since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in December 2023, he has missed a large number of matches.

Although Alaba represented Austria as captain at the 2026 World Cup and played in all four matches, his availability at club level has been much lower.

Statistics show that Alaba missed more than 100 matches over the past three seasons. talkSPORT reported that one of the major reasons Manchester United rejected Alaba was closely related to his physical condition.

Manchester United already have several experienced defenders, such as De Ligt and Lisandro Martinez, whose availability has also been inconsistent like Alaba's. Bringing in another veteran with a recent injury history could repeat the same problems and worsen the current situation.

In addition, although Alaba would not require a transfer fee, he would certainly demand a signing-on fee and high wages if Manchester United approached him. Therefore, United's decision may be reasonable. The club are trying to move away from expensive short-term solutions and focus on the future.

However, Ratcliffe's strategy of pursuing younger players at Manchester United may also become a bargaining tool for players at other clubs seeking higher wages. Newcastle United left-back Lewis Hall, whom he was interested in this summer, did not transfer and will now receive a five-year extension on a top-level salary from the Magpies.

The 22-year-old Hall joined from Chelsea in 2024 for a transfer fee of £30 million. Manchester United wanted to sign him for £40 million during the summer window, but Newcastle considered him unavailable for sale. The Red Devils were confident they could get him next summer, similar to signing Carlos Baleba from Brighton. But signing Hall cheaply is now 100% impossible.

Hall's original contract was due to expire in 2029. He has agreed to a new deal that extends the contract by another two years, and the new agreement will not include a release clause. This summer, Newcastle's asking price for Hall had already reached £70 million, and the figure will only rise further after the renewal, with £80 million likely being the minimum.

In addition, Hall will receive Newcastle's highest salary, around £140,000 per week, meaning Manchester United would need to offer even higher wages to sign him. Therefore, Hall joining Manchester United next year has become much less likely after his renewal. For him, United may simply have been a tool to improve his position.

Newcastle sporting director Ross Wilson promised Hall that the club intends to build a team capable of winning trophies before 2030. It is also understood that Hall has been impressed by new head coach Matthias Jaissle, especially because he has been valued and has a secure starting role, so talks over a renewal accelerated in recent weeks.

Recently, talkSPORT reported that Manchester United could consider another young left-back option, Bournemouth's Adrien Truffert. Truffert is a French left-back born in Belgium and is not yet 25. In the Premier League, he is considered one of the best left-back candidates, comparable to Manchester City's first-team player Nico O'Reilly.