As soon as Erik ten Hag was announced as manager of Manchester United, he was on hand to witness his side’s last-day defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace.
In that performance it became clear that the defense and midfield needed an injection of quality.
Defensive recruiting was handled quite easily as the club secured the signings of Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez.
United midfield still needs work
But the search for a deep-lying playmaker wasn’t easy, as the Red Devils were linked with just about every top midfielder on the planet.
Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong was Ten Hag’s first choice, but a combination of deferred wages and the player’s reluctance to leave meant the move never saw the light of day.
United ended up bringing in Real Madrid star Casemiro and free agent Christian Eriksen and both have proven their worth so far this season.
But United’s other midfield options, such as the failure of Fred and Donny van de Beek to win games and the combined age of their new recruits, mean an elite player still needs to be recruited for next season.
And according to journalist Simon Phillips, United are among seven elite European clubs targeting the Juventus star.
Writing on his substack account, Phillips named United as one of the clubs that are “interested” in the versatile 24-year-old American.
Other Premier clubs in the running include Chelsea, Tottenham and Leeds United. Atlético de Madrid and Borussia Dortmund are also spinning.
Versatile McKennie to the rescue?
McKennie, valued at more than €25m according to Transfermarkt, has the added benefit of being able to fill multiple roles if needed.
The US international has played as a defensive midfielder, right winger and even right back in his career and Juventus have been greatly helped by his ability to perform in a variety of different systems.
At the end of the summer transfer window, the 34-game USMNT star was offered to the 20-time English champions according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Italian said that United rejected the offer because they only wanted a loan.
Reports have already suggested the Glazers don’t want to spend as much as they did this summer and also insist on not going strong in January despite the obvious need to do so.
So a move for McKennie would represent a value-for-money deal and could plug a lot of holes in the team for now.
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