Crystal Palace Rejects Wharton Exit Amid United's Defensive Pursuit

Pierre Sage has drawn a firm line in the sand. Adam Wharton is not leaving Crystal Palace this summer.

The new Palace manager, already dealing with the departures of several big names, made his stance crystal clear ahead of the Premier League restart this weekend.

“We sold big players and now I think it's not the moment to do that,” Sage said. “Adam can play at a big club but I think one year with us, one year with a new dynamic, will be good for him and we need him.”

Manchester United have been circling for months, but any hope of prising the England international out of Selhurst Park before the deadline has been shut down. For now, Wharton stays put.

United, though, have no time to dwell.

Left-back hunt intensifies

With Carlos Baleba edging closer to Old Trafford, United’s attention is already swinging towards the left side of defence.

The club have made contact with the representatives of Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde as they explore options at left-back. The response has been blunt: Balde is happy where he is.

That leaves United working a tightrope. Patrick Dorgu is viewed as a player who can operate higher up the pitch, while highly rated youngster Harry Amass is expected to leave. Michael Carrick is effectively left with just Luke Shaw as a recognised left-back.

Shaw, 31, has a long injury history but came through last season unscathed. Banking on that happening again, though, is a gamble for a club with United’s ambitions.

So the search widens.

Reports from Infobae say United have finally stepped into the race for Racing Santander teenager Jorge Salinas. Atletico Madrid and Barcelona have already been tracking the 19-year-old, who has a reported £13.7m release clause in his current deal. The exact terms of United’s move are not detailed, but the club are said to have “burst into negotiations.”

RB Leipzig defender David Raum has also been offered to United, according to GIVEMESPORT, with the Germany international entering the final year of his contract and his club open to a sale rather than lose him for nothing.

Two different profiles. One problem to solve.

Baleba deal drives midfield rebuild

While the left-back search gathers pace, United are close to landing Baleba from Brighton.

The club have submitted a bid worth around £60m plus £5m in add-ons for the midfielder, who has been keen on the move since United first made enquiries last summer. An agreement with Brighton is now expected.

Baleba will join Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans as part of a sweeping midfield reshuffle at Old Trafford. The overhaul comes after Casemiro’s departure and the serious injury suffered by Manuel Ugarte at this summer’s World Cup, which has forced United to accelerate their plans in the middle of the pitch.

Carrick has been consistent in his message. He wants more.

“I just think we're looking to strengthen the squad,” he said at his pre-match press conference before this weekend’s trip to Hull City. “We're certainly working towards that, making the most of the situation that we have and trying to improve things and trying to move forward.

“We're certainly trying to make the most of the opportunities to finish the window stronger than we went into it. And I think we're a good way to doing that, so far.”

United have already brought in Karl Darlow, Santos and Tielemans this summer. Baleba would be the headline addition in a new-look midfield built for the long term.

Rashford’s future edges towards clarity

While new signings dominate the headlines, one familiar name continues to hover over the window: Marcus Rashford.

Back at United after a season-long loan with Barcelona, the forward has trained “fantastically well”, according to Carrick, who was asked whether Rashford had expressed a desire to stay beyond the deadline.

United are still understood to be open to offers for the 28-year-old as the window enters its decisive stretch. Even so, the mood around the club has shifted. It now looks increasingly likely Rashford will be reintegrated into the squad for the new campaign rather than moved on.

If he stays, he becomes another piece in Carrick’s evolving puzzle rather than a symbol of a clean break from the past.

Carrick’s squad faces early test

All of this plays out against the backdrop of a season that starts now.

The Premier League kicks off today, with champions Arsenal opening at home to newly-promoted Coventry City. United follow on Saturday, away to another promoted side in Hull City in the early 12:30pm slot.

The club always expected to be busy in the final fortnight of the window. They knew the work wasn’t done after the early arrivals. They knew the squad still needed surgery.

The question now is whether Carrick gets the left-back he wants, the midfield anchor he’s closing in on, and the clarity over Rashford he’s edging towards — all before the window slams shut and the real judgement begins.