Manchester United secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Real Sociedad in San Sebastian in their final Group E game in the Europa League on Thursday.
The victory meant that United finished level on points with their opponents, but thanks to goal difference, they were unable to top the group. La Real will now head straight to the round of 16.
As for the Red Devils, they will now have to draw an additional two-leg tie against one of the Champions League defectors, creating a big problem for Erik ten Hag.
midfield options
The goal before the season was to finish in the top four in the Premier League and a Cup, but it won’t be easy with the current team, who are light in many areas.
The Dutchman knows that it will take time to fix all the problems, so he is willing to carefully build his team in the future. One area that is relatively strong at the moment is the midfield section after the additions of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen.
Manchester United does not lose sight of Amadou Haidarahttps://t.co/y6QXlrJkRC
– Transfers.com (@Fichajes_futbol) November 4, 2022
But they are both 30 at the moment and the former Ajax boss will be aware of the need to recruit a younger midfielder in the future.
According to Transfers, Amadou Haidara could be a potential target for Ten Hag as he looks to improve his options going forward.
Interestingly, the 24-year-old received plenty of suggestions to join the Red Devils when caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick was in charge.
He had witnessed the need to add bite to the center of the park and felt the RB Leipzig general would be better suited to United’s needs.
Scott McTominay has held that role with both the German and Dutch coaches, but his skills are better suited as a box-to-box midfielder than a defensive general.
Haidara the long term solution
And Ten Hag could revisit that interest and, according to Transfermarkt, would only cost around €20m, a paltry outlay for such an impressive artist.
The Mali midfielder himself has spoken of his desire to move up to the Premier League and has said that the intense nature of the contests in England is something he enjoys.
Newcastle United were also seeking his signature and had reportedly offered £40 million for his services, but Haidara chose to remain in the Bundesliga.
For how long remains to be seen, but Haidara would certainly suit up in the Premier League and United could get a backup capable of replacing Casemiro when needed.
