With Erik ten Hag in the lead, Manchester United are slowly but surely moving forward with the club currently three points out of fourth place with one game to go.
The addition of Lisandro MartÃnez has transformed the defense, while Casemiro and Christian Eriksen have added steel and cunning to the midfield. But it is at the beginning where the problems have continued to persist.
Marcus Rashford has been a breath of fresh air this season, and he is the club’s top scorer. But the squandering of him when he clears the goal shows that there is work to be done to improve his finishing.
United need a striker
Anthony Martial’s goals-per-minutes ratio is impressive, but injury problems have restricted him to just two Premier League starts and three overall in 21 games in all competitions.
The unceremonious departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from the club after his incendiary interview has meant that plans to sign an elite top scorer next summer have had to be brought forward to January.
*Depay transfer rumors* ????????????Manchester United are the club most interested in signing Dutch striker Memphis Depay during the January transfer window, Spanish publication AS reported. #MUFC #ManchesterUnited #ManUtd #ManUnited #MUMUfootball pic.twitter.com/T19hCqKDAh
– MUMU Football (@MUMUfootball) December 6, 2022
A variety of names have been linked to the Red Devils with Cody Gakpo and Joao Felix among the favorites. But due to the club’s £200m-plus splurge in the summer, available funds are expected to be low.
Both PSV Eindhoven and Atletico Madrid plan to raise the asking prices of their star players after seeing their World Cup displays.
Barça bets on the WC for the sale of Depay
Barcelona’s Memphis Depay could be United’s next best option. The Dutchman’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2023 and the Catalan giants will be more than happy to let him go in the winter considering his high salary.
According to AS, “Barça sees in its performances in the World Cup a wonderful market share to be able to offer as soon as a new transfer window opens.”
The 28-year-old striker, who is second on his country’s list of top international scorers, will be free to talk to foreign clubs about a summer transfer, something Barcelona wants to avoid.
And they feel their World Cup displays could help them get a solid transfer fee for a player they got for free.
Xavi does not have the former United star in his plans and would be delighted to add a player at right-back for the money acquired from his sale.
Interested parties include United, Sevilla and Serie A giants Roma. Depay is said to be considering a move to an elite club alone and his United connection could tip the tide in Ten Hag’s favour.
Whether United would be willing to pay a high fee for Depay remains to be seen. Barcelona is aware that the reds are the ones that have shown the most interest in a possible transfer.
