Man Utd ‘consider last-minute hijack’ of £20m Championship transfer as star ‘refuses to rush medical’
Man Utd could make a last-minute attempt to hijack Ipswich Town’s move to sign Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, according to reports.
The Red Devils have have already made three signings this summer with Mathueus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo arriving from Premier League clubs Wolves and Brentford respectively, while Paraguayan youngster Diego Leon has joined from Cerro Porteno.
Widespread reports indicate that Man Utd are looking to sign three more players before the end of the transfer window with Ruben Amorim wanting a striker, a midfielder and a goalkeeper.
Man Utd look to have settled on RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko as their top centre-forward target, while there have been rumours that Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma could be an option to improve their goalkeeping position.
The Red Devils have also been linked with a number of midfielders this summer with Valencia defensive midfielder Javi Guerra looking like a top option last month.
Man Utd are looking for a cheap option in midfield as a deal for Sesko could be worth upwards of £70m and now GiveMeSport claim that the Red Devils are ‘weighing up whether to make a last-minute attempt to win the race for the signature of’ Middlesbrough’s Hackney.
Sky Sports revealed on Wednesday that Ipswich had agreed a Championship-record deal of £20m to sign Hackney from rivals Middlesbrough and that it was now up to Kieran McKenna to convince him to move to Portman Road.
With Hackney looking for a transfer to the Premier League, GiveMeSport adds that Man Utd ‘recruitment chiefs have continued showing interest despite Ipswich Town having a bid accepted’.
Man Utd are ‘considering a last-ditch move to hijack’ and Red Devils boss Amorim ‘has been given hope of being able to lure him to Old Trafford as he has refused to rush into undergoing a medical at Portman Road’.
The England Under-21 international is ‘determined to be more than a squad player’ at his next club and Man Utd head coach Amorim ‘will have to give Hackney assurances over the amount of game time he can expect’.
MORE MANCHESTER UNITED COVERAGE ON F365
👉 Five desperate Man Utd transfers to follow £69m Benjamin Sesko signing as Chelsea, Aston Villa profit
👉 La Liga star rejects Man Utd as Arsenal ‘distance’ themselves from deal to focus on two PL stars
👉 ‘Very optimistic’ Man Utd ‘assume a transfer’ will go through as Amorim hails ‘dynamite’ potential signing
Former Man Utd defender Wes Brown insists that the Red Devils couldn’t turn down the opportunity to sign Premier League stars Cunha and Mbeumo this summer.
Brown told WhichBookie: “Part of me feels that United should’ve gone for an out-and-out number nine but when the opportunity to sign players as good as Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha pops up, you don’t say no to them.
“They’re very good individuals who can get on the ball, run at players and make things happen. Mbeumo has been in mine and everybody else’s fantasy teams for the past few years because of his amazing output and I feel he’s probably been a bit underestimated.
“When Ivan Toney was at Brentford people were always talking about him being their best player, but looking back a lot of that good work was also down to Mbeumo. We’ve not seen him in a United shirt yet but I think he’s someone who will really surprise people.
“Regardless of what positions people think United need to strengthen in, I think these are the kind of signings they need to be making. Not only are they good players but they’ve already proven themselves in the Premier League and they’ve lacked that in recent years.”