The game of dominoes in the transfer market is afoot, and Barcelona are proving to be a real pain for Man Utd in more ways than one.
The obvious one is the Marcus Rashford situation, as Barcelona have provided him with a brutal reality check by bidding £70m for Anthony Gordon instead.
It leaves Rashford in limbo, even if Barcelona do want to keep him, because they’ve just revealed what they think of him as a priority.
However, for Man Utd, the problems don’t end there, as Barcelona’s deal for Gordon complicates another transfer for them.
Should Man United try sign Newcastle left-back Lewis Hall this summer?
How much is Lewis Hall worth (under contract until 2029)? 🤔
Barcelona’s Anthony Gordon deal makes Lewis Hall untouchable
Gordon was far from the only Newcastle player to be the subject of transfer rumours, as United were also credited with an interest in Sandro Tonali and Lewis Hall, among others.
The logic was that Newcastle’s failure to qualify for the Champions League would make their financial situation untenable.
That might well have been the case, but it’s fair to assume that getting close to £80m for Gordon will go a long way towards calming those worries for Newcastle.
It makes things difficult for United, who were monitoring Lewis Hall, who was such a perfect fit for the team.
Dealing with Newcastle would have been tough on the best of days, but after pocketing £70m from the sale of Gordon, Hall will be borderline untouchable.
It is worth repeating that United have almost walked away from the deal for Tonali because of a prohibitive price tag when Gordon was still a Newcastle player.
Now, with Hall being younger, English, and with a unique profile, Gordon’s sale closes the door on United being able to move for him.
Hall needs to stay on Man Utd’s radar
Buying anyone else from Newcastle seems impossible now, but Hall is someone who needs to stay on United’s radar regardless.
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Their troubles with the ownership and the uncertainty over Eddie Howe’s future mean that they could find themselves in a similar position next season as well.
At that point, it won’t be an exceptional case anymore, and quality players like Hall could be available on the market again.
Background work on Hall needs to continue, especially as Luke Shaw’s contract expires next summer, making Hall a natural successor to Shaw.
United need to ensure that a potential deal for Hall has just been delayed, not cancelled, because the chance of it happening this summer is close to zero after Gordon’s sale.
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