Manchester United's Left-Back Search Hits Roadblock with Joaquin Seys

Manchester United’s search for a new left-back has hit a major roadblock, with Club Brugge making it clear that Joaquin Seys is going nowhere this summer.

United want to strengthen Michael Carrick’s options on the left side of defence before the window closes, but hopes of landing Seys have been described in Belgium as “out of the question”. Brugge are ready to stand firm, even in the face of what would be a record sale.

Seys, 21, is not a squad player they can quietly move on. He has already started all three of Brugge’s matches this season after a standout 2023-24 campaign in which he made 55 appearances, scored five goals and added eight assists. He is a fixture in the side, and the Belgian club are treating him as such.

United have not yet tabled a formal bid, but the message from Brugge is blunt: even an offer in line with the £34million Arsenal paid earlier in the summer for Christos Tzolis would not shift their stance. They are prepared to reject that level of money to keep their left-back.

It is not just United circling. Seys has admirers across the Premier League, with Arsenal, Aston Villa and Newcastle all linked, while Benfica and Porto are monitoring him from Portugal. For now, they will all have to wait. Any move for the Belgium international looks more like one for a future window than a late summer swoop.

That hardline position comes despite coach Ivan Leko previously acknowledging the realities of the market.

“If there’s a lot of money on the table, it’s obviously not easy to say no. The board’s aim is still to build a team that’s even better than last season,” Leko said, before stressing the importance of timing for his young talents. “The right time to leave will come. Tzolis has proved that. Let’s hope they’re all still here in September.”

For Carrick, the need is immediate. Luke Shaw is into the final year of his contract, and Patrick Dorgu is now being used higher up the pitch, leaving United short of natural left-back options as the season beds in.

Seys is not the first defender to be effectively taken off the market in front of them. Newcastle have already rebuffed United’s attempts to sign Lewis Hall, underlining how difficult it is to prise away young full-backs with long contracts and clear roles.

That reality has pushed United towards alternatives. One name that remains firmly on the radar is Racing Santander’s Jorge Salinas. The 19-year-old, another attack-minded left-sided defender, has a release clause in his contract, making any negotiations far more straightforward than the stalemate at Brugge.

United still want a left-back. The window is ticking down. The question now is whether they pivot decisively to a target they can actually land, or keep chasing a defender Belgium’s champions insist is not for sale.