Gossip: Man Utd eye £50m midfielder and loan centre-backs
OLE DOWN WITH VDB
The morning after the morning after a Manchester United humiliation is generally when the Red Devils most like to offer the illusion of intent in the transfer market. The biggest name doing the rounds today is that of Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek…
ESPN says sources have told them that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is pushing hard for Ed Woodward to significantly strengthen this month and Van de Beek is seen as an achievable target. Ajax’s Champions League exit has supposedly made them vulnerable to offers for the best players, with Van de Beek valued somewhere in the £50million category.
Solskjaer is also keen on Van de Beek’s team-mate Hakim Ziyech but even the brains trust at Old Trafford recognise their midfield need is greatest.
UNITED PONDER LOAN FIX
Or rather it was until this week. Because somehow, the club which started the season with a gazillion centre-halves is now down to one.
Harry Maguire could be out for a couple of months, according to the morning’s papers, with Phil Jones picking up a hamstring injury when he replaced Maguire against Manchester City on Tuesday. With Eric Bailly and Marcos Rojo nowhere to be seen and Axel Tuanzebe also crocked, the Manchester Evening News reckons United could turn to the loan market to fill Maguire’s sizeable void.
The Daily Star suggests Hellas Verona teenager Marash Kumbulla could be a £13million target but since the Serie A club expect to keep the 19-year-old on loan for the rest of the season, he’d be little use to Solskjaer amid this particular crisis.
Samuel Umtiti is also being linked with United this morning but that’s according to El Desmarque which also lists Arsenal and Tottenham among the Barcelona defender’s suitors.
DE LIGT ON THE MOVE AGAIN?
One defender possibly up for a loan move is Matthijs De Ligt. United wanted the Holland star in the summer but the 20-year-old opted for Juventus over Old Trafford.
De Ligt’s Juve move hasn’t gone as smoothly as he might have hoped and A Bola reckons a January loan return to Ajax could be on the cards.
SPURS IN RACE FOR MILAN STRIKER
Another big move which hasn’t gone according to plan is that of Krzysztof Piatek. The Poland striker joined AC Milan from Genoa for £30million a year ago but already he could be on the move.
Villa were being linked with Piatek earlier in the week, as were Newcastle. But the Guardian reckons Tottenham are sniffing too following the injury to Harry Kane.
Milan would be happy to sell providing they get their money back on Piatek but the Premier League trio would prefer a loan move initially and all are prepared to sit and wait until Milan are squeezed into compromising towards the end of the month.
AND THE REST
Chelsea will offer £40m for West Ham defender Issa Diop… The Blues will only use their £40m buy-back option for Bournemouth centre-back Nathan Ake if they can sell Andreas Christensen… Man City are planning four to six signings in 2020… Crystal Palace have rejected an offer from Bayern Munich for Wilf Zaha… Chelsea have gone cold on Zaha… Aston Villa could make a move for Burnley striker Jay Rodriguez, while Pepe Reina is also a target… Palace and Southampton will compete with Brighton for Tottenham right-back Kyle Walker-Peters… Emile Smith Rowe could be one of a dozen players to leave Arsenal this month.
