Considering the significant rebuilding work Erik ten Hag had undertaken as Manchester United’s new boss, it was bound to be a time-consuming exercise.
As former caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick pointed out, it would take a few transfer windows to plug all the holes in the team while also adding quality on the pitch.
So far, five permanent players have arrived at Old Trafford on a loan signing. The Dutchman had prioritized improving defense and midfield after last season’s horror show.
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But still, the right-back position remains a concern and the club must address this as soon as possible. United currently appears to have only one option at their disposal.
Diogo Dalot has become the undisputed first choice and has played every game except one, in which he was suspended for accumulating yellow cards.
Ten Hag has made reference to his workload and mentioned that the young Portuguese winger is currently overloaded and needs reinforcements.
Left-back Tyrell Malacia has doubled as emergency backup right-back with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s favorite Aaron Wan-Bissaka on the left on the sidelines.
???? A summer move to #mufc for Jeremie Frimpong is becoming more and more apparent, now he knows United are interested and open to a move too. [@SkySportDE]
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) November 29, 2022
He has managed only four minutes of action this season and the Dutch coach does not value him at all for his inability to influence the team’s attack and his clumsiness with the ball at his feet.
Many names have been proposed as possible replacements, and the name of Jeremie Frimpong is widely circulated at this time.
The Bayer Leverkusen star has been a revelation since joining the Bundesliga from Scottish champions Celtic. In addition to his solid defensive ethic, his attack ability has really improved by leaps and bounds.
Real Madrid and United will face each other for the signing of Frimpong
The 21-year-old has contributed five goals and three assists in 21 games in all competitions this season and that has naturally led to much speculation surrounding his future.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano had recently confirmed that the Red Devils were extensively scouting the former City academy product with a view to launching an offer soon.
But United could be overtaken in the race by Champions League holders Real Madrid. According to a new report from Central Defense, Los Blancos are said to currently be leading the race to sign Frimpong.
Their current mainstay in that position, Dani Carvajal, is now 30 and the Madrid giants are looking to make a move for Frimpong as a long-term replacement.
The full-back is currently with the Dutch team in Qatar, but so far he has not managed minutes. But his impressive form means he’s very likely to move in the summer of 2023.