Manchester United’s on-field march to the silver medal was dealt a major blow after their emphatic FA Cup win over Reading.
Coach Erik ten Hag delivered some bad news regarding midfield maestro Christian Eriksen, who was seen walking with the aid of crutches after that game.
The Dutchman confirmed that the Dane would be sidelined until April and this meant that the club had to use the loan market to find a temporary solution.
Gravenberch was a deadline day target
Marcel Sabitzer ended up joining from Bayern Munich, a move hailed by many as the Austrian is seen as a similar replacement for the Denmark international.
But as The Independent revealed on deadline day, the former RB Leipzig player wasn’t the only player Ten Hag had in mind.
United had also inquired about a possible deal for former Ajax star Ryan Gravenberch, however Bayern refused to let the 20-year-old go.
Bayern Munich were reluctant to allow #MUFC to loan out Ryan Gravenberch.
United have also consulted with Leicester about a possible loan move for Youri Tielemans, but United have deemed the expected fee involved too high. [@MiguelDelaney]#TransferNews #DeadlineDay pic.twitter.com/35rhFAI22x
— Noah Mcilroy (@NsmUnited) January 31, 2023
“The German team were reluctant to allow United a loan deal for Ryan Gravenberch,” Miguel Delaney wrote in the report.
The Dutch midfielder, who played under Ten Hag at Ajax, has not started in the Bundesliga since joining Bayern last summer and has barely played for the German club.
Bayern only let Sabitzer out
Given that he has barely played, United thought a deal might be possible, but it never materialized.
The thinking behind the deal was that he was well versed in Ten Hag’s methods and the manager knew his capabilities.
The Bavarian giants were much more open to letting Sabitzer go, with Chelsea also taking an interest at one point considering the uncertainty surrounding the Enzo Fernández deal.
United were also offered multiple players by brokers such as Saul Niguez, Isco and Yannick Carrasco.
