It’s difficult to be Manchester United during this transfer window.
Erik ten Hag has accepted reality as he works to carry on the Red Devils revolution after being supported to the hilt last summer following a terrible start to his first season in command. Twelve months later, the club’s ongoing ownership situation has made it more difficult for United to secure their top targets because of the tightening financial restrictions.
The middle is where the budget shortfall has been most obvious. First off, Adrien Rabiot declined offers from Old Trafford despite being able to sign a new one-year contract with Juventus and play for the Red Devils in the Champions League. Declan Rice has always felt like a fantasy, but he is now moving on to Arsenal. Then there was Moises Caicedo, with whom Chelsea has recently started talks in an effort to deliver three blows to Ten Hag.
De Jong
Let’s wrap this up, then. Ten Hag adores Frenkie de Jong, and despite repeated refusals last summer, he still wants to bring him to Old Trafford.
De Jong, 26, is happy to continue growing at Camp Nou or the Montjuic Olympic Stadium, where Barcelona will play its home matches in the upcoming season. De Jong loves Barcelona and is happy to play for the Catalan club there. The issue is this. Ten Hag does, however, have some optimism as the ex-Ajax player may still be driven out by the Blaugrana owing to their well-known financial issues. Just don’t rely on it.
Mount Mason
Since Mason Mount is now in the last year of his contract, he is still a member of the Chelsea team. He has previously shown a genuine interest in Old Trafford, so his arrival is now likely. A deal worth an initial £55 million plus an additional £5 million in add-ons has been reached, and United are now close to signing him, so that will soon change.
The Blues wanted to convince Mount, 24, to sign a new contract so they could keep him from departing for free next summer. With no question, Mount’s game intelligence will improve the Red Devils’ midfield’s quality and provide a long-term solution to their ball progression problems, which Christian Eriksen helped to resolve last season. Ten Hag is probably looking for Mount to operate right behind Bruno Fernandes and ahead of Casemiro.
Theo Booth
Another clear target is Dutch team Utrecht’s American sensation Taylor Booth. In league play, the attack-minded midfielder’s breakout season in 2017 included four assists and two goals.
Ten Hag’s interest in the player was verified when United forward coach Benni McCarthy disclosed that the head coach of the Red Devils had been in touch with Booth’s agent regarding the 22-year-old. Earlier this month, McCarthy claimed in an interview with 947 Johannesburg that “Ten Hag spoke to my agent Rob Moore about an American player in Holland, who my agent also managed.”
2019 saw Booth relocate to Europe from Real Salt Lake in his native Utah. It is interesting that United has already reached an agreement with Utrecht for a transfer this month, deciding to sell their own midfielder, Zidane Iqbal, for €1 million (£850k), in a contract that includes a 40% sell-on clause and a repurchase option.
I’m Ryan Gravenberch.
Ryan Gravenberch is a skill that Ten Hag gained at Ajax but is currently fading from popularity when it comes to friendly connections. When the 21-year-old joined Bayern Munich last summer, just as his manager and fellow Dutchman was departing for United, there were big expectations for him. Three Bundesliga starts were not among those hopes.
Gravenberch underperformed throughout the 2022–23 campaign, disappointing both Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagelsmann, which spurred transfer rumors in the summer. The international player from the Netherlands has even threatened to leave Bayern if they don’t give him more playing time. He can dribble through lines and is speedy.
In a recent ESPN interview, Gravernberch said, “I expected to play more minutes than I did. “I figured I’d have more opportunities,” At my age, simply wanting to play is the most crucial factor. Bayern is where I’m hoping it will be, but if not, we’ll need to seek elsewhere.
Sofyan Amrabat
Similar to how Liverpool is rumored to be interested in Gravenberch, United may have to compete with their bitter rivals for Sofyan Amrabat, whose value increased during the World Cup. Amrabat helped Morocco get to the semi-finals by showcasing his ability to control the midfield against some top teams.
Amrabat, a 26-year-old midfielder for Fiorentina, was instrumental in getting his team to the Europa Conference League championship game, where they lost to West Ham 2-1. Amrabat is apparently eager to join a Spanish team, despite his agent saying Barcelona is interested in signing him. He might be persuaded to change his mind, though, if Manchester United made an offer to him.
Unlike the players previously mentioned, Fulham’s Joao Palhinha is a midfielder who excels at stifling the opposition’s assaults. In the Premier League last season, he made a remarkable 148 tackles, which is roughly a third more than the next-best player, Caicedo. Any squad in need of a hard-tackling midfielder would benefit from adding Palhinha because he embodies the term “midfield destroyer.”
Palhinha, who plays alongside Fernandes and Diogo Dalot for the national team, was a teammate of Fernandes’ when they were both in Sporting Libson’s development program. As the deepest player in Ten Hag’s midfield trio, the 27-year-old could eventually replace Casemiro. However, because Fulham reportedly placed a stunning £90 million price tag on him, his transfer cost is anticipated to be enormous.
Joao Neves, a different midfielder from Portugal, is a player who has not yet left his home nation. Despite being only 18, he was instrumental in helping Benfica win the league title last year by making 17 appearances.Leading European teams, including Manchester United, are reportedly interested in signing him, according to Sky Italia. Neves has also performed admirably for Portugal at the European Championship for under-21s, where he most recently played England in the quarterfinals. Manchester United might be interested in recruiting him as a long-term replacement for Casemiro if he wears his shirt tucked in like Rodri of Manchester City.
Marcel Sabitzer
Ten Hag might also think about contacting Marcel Sabitzer, a somebody he already knows and who was brought in on a loan from Bayern in January. Before suffering a season-ending injury soon before the season’s finish, Sabitzer put forth strong work for the team.
Even though Sabitzer still has two years left on his deal, he might be available for a discount. Given his impressive output of three goals in 18 appearances for Manchester United the previous season, he might be a good rotation option. He might not be the most thrilling addition for United fans, but in these uncertain times, he might be a good bet.
As he did during his loan period, Sabitzer has also stated his passion for the Premier League and hasn’t ruled out a return. This is the best league in the world, he said BILD. Once you’ve played here, you understand that this place is unparalleled.