The prolonged season finally came to an end for Manchester United as they crashed out of the Europa League in the semi-finals against Sevilla on Sunday night. The focus, now, will surely turn to what matters the most – transfers.
Since the past few months, we know that Jadon Sancho is United’s top-most priority this transfer season, but Dortmund’s sporting director Michael Zorc announced that the 20-year-old would remain with the German club. Even though the August 10 deadline has gone, some reports suggest that talks are still continuing.
However, Solskjaer’s comments after the Sevilla defeat tells a different story.
“We are working to improve what we have. We’ve had spells with injuries. We’re always looking to improve the squad. It’s not about a marquee signing, it’s about quality. The right personality that fits into the group.”
When asked about Sancho’ situation specifically, the Norwegian simply said: “I’m not commenting on other teams’ players.”
Not just this, The Athletic reports that the deal for Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish is also unlikely. United doesn’t see Grealish as an alternative for Sancho. They see him as an attacking midfielder who can provide them another option in the central area besides Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes. The report says that the deal is not even being discussed as of now.
This means it’s getting increasingly unlikely that United would land the two players whose names have been echoing around since months. But signing no one at all is even more unlikely. So, what are United’s other options?
Several pundits and ex-United players have said that getting Sancho would definitely be best for United but that shouldn’t be their only option. According to Fabrizio Romano, United are considering Bayern’s Kingsley Coman and Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele. It is also understood that United will consider the alternatives only when Sancho’s deal completely falls through.
Juventus’ Douglas Costa has also emerged as another option for the right-wing position. Transfer Expert Gianluca Di Marzio revealed on Sky Sports that Juventus wants to sell the Brazilian. His agents are out looking for a club and they have made contact with United.
Gareth Bale has been a popular figure at Old Trafford since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson. The 31-year-old’s future is uncertain at Real Madrid after regularly being snubbed by Zinedine Zidane this season following his off-field antics. However, Daily Mail suggests that no Premier League club is willing to afford the Wales international’s extravagant wages.
Another thing is that Manchester United would be extremely cautious as all the above-mentioned players are quite injury prone.
Besides, another report from The Athletic suggests that a left-footed centre-half is also on United’s radar as Marcos Rojo, Chris Smalling, and Phil Jones are all expected to depart. Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano and Swansea’s Joe Rodon are the rumoured targets but nothing concrete can be expected.
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