Despite the normally optimistic Manchester United transfer rumors being uncharacteristically quiet, manager Erik ten Hag has said in various press conferences that he still hopes to strengthen his team in this transfer window.
In the pre-match press conference ahead of yesterday’s 3-1 win against Reading, the manager said: “In the next few days, if we had an opportunity, I would take it, but it’s not just up to me.”
With only two days to go, could there be a last-minute surprise signing, and if so, who could it be?
It is not clear if there is a particular position that the manager wants to strengthen. Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s great form has probably made the search for the right-back redundant and the rest of the defense has plenty of cover. The side areas also appear to be well stocked and Wout Weghorst has been listed as a target.
This leaves central midfield and attacking midfield. Fred and Scott McTominay are the only experienced alternatives to the starting trio of Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes. Donny van de Beek is out for the season.
The sight of Eriksen leaving Old Trafford on crutches yesterday underscores how skinny United are, particularly in ball-playing and creative midfielders, having lost the Dutchman.
McTominay is more of a natural replacement for Casemiro, while Fred is best employed as a box-to-box running back, a high-energy player. There are no obvious replacements for Fernandes and Eriksen apart from academy stars like Kobbie Mainoo and Zidane Iqbal.
Given the lack of available budget, it is more than likely that any signing will have to be on loan or a player entering the last six months of his contract and whose current club would therefore be willing to sell to a bargain priced basement.
An example of the latter is Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans. It’s no secret that the Belgian wants to leave the King Power Stadium and, while he seemed certain that Arsenal were in charge, his attention now seems to have turned to Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and West Ham’s Declan Rice.
In some ways, Tielemans would be the perfect addition. His natural play is similar to well-known Ten Hag target Frenkie de Jong, taking the ball from defense to attack, but he is versatile and can play in a variety of roles. He has good passing range, is bipedal and his clever use of space would appeal to the United manager.
Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot is another option. United came close to signing him last summer, but personal terms could not be agreed and he stayed at Juventus. He doesn’t quite fit the style as Tielemans, but he is a strong and powerful midfielder and reminded everyone of what he is capable of in his World Cup performances in Qatar.
A more offensive option and a natural backup for Fernandes is Eintracht Frankfurt’s Daichi Kamada. Another bipedal player, he has fantastic passing range and his pace could be an asset. At 26 years old and with a market value of 30 million euros, United should take a look at the Japanese and talk to Frankfurt. Barcelona are reportedly interested in signing him at a Bosman in June, so acting now would be prudent.
Lyon’s Houssem Aouar has made no secret of his desire to play in the Premier League and came close to joining Arsenal last summer. His progress at Lyon hasn’t been stellar since then and he’s therefore fallen off the radar of most big hitters, but at 24 and extremely talented, he’s the kind of player Ten Hag could draw from. the best of himself. . As for the profile, he is probably the ideal cover for Fernandes and Eriksen. If United could get hold of him for €10m or less, it could be a very shrewd deal.
If there is going to be a last-minute transfer, United have certainly played their cards very close to their chest. If any of these names start to link up over the course of the next 24 to 48 hours, expect sparks to start flying very quickly.
