The Tigers battled for the three points, something Michael Carrick conceded after the game, in what was a huge reality check for the Red Devils.
Hull loss could be just what Man Utd needed
Though it's clear that United are still a work in progress under their former captain, the way in which his squad played for him after he assumed the managerial position post-Ruben Amorim suggested that success wouldn't be too long in coming.
Perhaps this recent loss will be just the jolt everyone at the club needs to ensure that no one gets too carried away with themselves.
In any event, with the transfer window still open, United need to ensure that they're across the possibilities, and it would appear that the left-back slot is one where they're still looking to strengthen.
Luke Shaw had a reasonable game, though it won't have escaped anyone, least of all Carrick himself, that at 31 years of age and with the injury history that he's had, the England international needs to be managed more carefully.
Alejandro Balde being hawked around Europe
That can only be achieved if the club have the right player available to challenge Shaw week in and week out, and it seems that they've identified Barcelona's 22-year-old Alejandro Balde as an option.
Reports in Spain suggest that Balde's agent, the inimitable Jorge Mendes, is hawking the player around Europe, but the intention is to court the Red Devils with a view to getting a deal over the line.
Rumours only intensified after Barcelona's 5-0 demolition of Elche on Sunday, a match in which Balde played no part, one can assume because the club won't want any injuries to scupper a potential move.
If United were successful with any bid for Balde, what would they be getting for their money?
Great pace but a poor final ball
For starters, the youngster is a real flyer, and will get up and down the left channel at a pace that opposition players often find difficult to match.
Using last season's performances as a sample size, he managed a pass completion rate in the final third of Champions League games of 90.24%, with his accuracy more generally topping out at 93.87% from the 2025/26 Copa del Rey.
Perhaps what's more stark about Balde's forward play, and something that United would have to improve if the player were to become a success at the Theatre of Dreams, is his final ball.
His pace often gets him to the byline with ease, but just eight successful crosses throughout last season, compared with 28 unsuccessful, is one of Balde's major failings.
Cancelo often preferred to Balde
That Joao Cancelo, a right-back by trade, was often preferred to him in the left-back position by Hansi Flick is a damning indictment of the 22-year-old's capabilities.
Just two successful through balls is definitely not something to shout about either.
Drilling down further, on the face of it, 79 total take-ons, of which 41 were successful, doesn't appear to be a particularly poor stat, until you realise that not one of those ended with a chance being created by Balde.
The 304 separate ball carries undertaken by the player leading to a single assist is another mesmerising statistic, if only for the fact that it appears simply impossible to have such an awful return.
United have left it late to scour the market
Three shots on target from 12 taken in total doesn't speak of a player that's confident in his own ability to find the net, either.
At least 30 of his 48 tackles were won, with his LaLiga output in this regard being registered at a 65.71% success rate.
A total of 37 clearances made during the campaign is an acceptable showing, but looking at the bigger picture, you'd have to argue that it's not going to be enough in a squad that's looking to get back to the top table of domestic and European football.
It isn't clear what the asking price for Balde would be at this point, but with a market value of around €50m and a contract with Barcelona that runs until June 2028, he's unlikely to come cheap.
With United having left it so late in the window to pad out the final few positions in their squad, they're limited in what business they could do, and that could force the board into yet another purchase that they might later come to regret.
Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.
