Final camp of the year. Let’s go
Man Utd want to sign new reliable defender for ETH, head could be turned
According to a source, Erik ten Hag is currently searching for a defender to add to Manchester United’s alternatives ahead of the January transfer window, and the club is eager to open its wallet.
The steady comeback of Manchester United…Following a slow start to the season, Manchester United have risen to the top of the Premier League in terms of form over the past five games, moving up to sixth place. The following two weeks will be dominated by the international break.
A draw against Manchester City and four victories over Fulham, Luton Town, Sheffield United, and Brentford have helped salvage some pride at Old Trafford, but as anyone who has been following their comeback closely knows, the stats don’t always tell the whole story.
Surprisingly, each of the four wins has been secured by a margin of just one goal. Also, they needed heroic last-ditch efforts from Scott McTominay (against Brentford) and Bruno Fernandes (against Fulham) to secure a narrow victory. In any case, Manchester United is just concerned with getting points in their quest to qualify for the Champions League.
The Guardian cites Red Devils boss Ten Hag as saying, following last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Luton at Old Trafford: “Even after all the setbacks we dealt with (injuries), we are still in a position near the top four and when we start to play well and get a team that is set for weeks and months (then maybe) other teams will get their setbacks and drop points.” This statement serves as encouragement for the Red Devils, who have been in good form as of late.
“Now we have won four out of five in the Premier League. We are in quite a good position if you see all the trouble we had. We are in a very good position,” the Dutchman continued. We can take heart from that.According to recent reports, the Premier League heavyweights have their sights set on a promising defender who may bring some defensive consistency as we enter the second half of the current season.
United Expresses Strong Interest in Gianluca ManciniSport Witness cites an Italian source as saying that Manchester United are interested in signing Roma defender Gianluca Mancini. This move would allow Ten Hag to find a solid backup for Raphael Varane, whose form has dropped at Old Trafford.
The report states that United are interested in spending about €20 million (£17.5 million) on the Italian international, but that Roma may try to get as much as €35 million (£30.6 million) in exchange for him. Even so, the Red Devils’ interest in the 27-year-old could sway his decision.According to Mancini’s statistics on Transfermarkt, he has been a mainstay for Roma this season, making 16 appearances across all competitions and scoring once.
It could be prudent to add a long-term player like Mancini to Ten Hag’s backline to help protect Lisandro Martinez, who has been plagued by injuries at Old Trafford.