Man Utd: Pochettino tipped to turn to ex-Chelsea star as shock first signing – ‘that’s first and foremost’
Incoming Manchester United boss Mauricio Pochettino has been tipped to make ex-Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger his first signing.
Pochettino is reportedly in the process of completing a move to Man Utd to replace club legend Michael Carrick, who was sacked on Thursday.
The USA boss is widely reported to have an agreement to join Man Utd, and his appointment could be confirmed on Friday.
Pochettino will have a huge job on his hands at Old Trafford because Man Utd are 18th in the Premier League after only winning three of their 15 games this season in all competitions.
He could be boosted by multiple signings in January, and their priority needs to be to improve their defence.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Pochettino…”
Former Premier League striker Charlie Austin has explained why he could see Man Utd make a move for former Chelsea star Rudiger.
“Manchester United need a whole new back-four,” Austin told OLBG.
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“That’s first and foremost.
“They need someone who’s going to be aggressive. They’ve got Lisandro Martinez, but unfortunately he’s injured at the moment.
“The problem is that there isn’t just one player Manchester United needs. They’re in a sorry state of affairs at the moment. They need a whole new back-four.
“Their back-four is exactly the same as the one they had when they got beaten 7-0 by Liverpool. So that’s your starting point?
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Pochettino went for someone like Antonio Rudiger. Someone of that ilk: experienced, knows the Premier League, still mobile and still athletic. That’s where I think they should be looking.
“Then you can build the defence around someone like that and bring in younger players.”
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On Cole Palmer, Austin added: “Cole Palmer was phenomenal under Pochettino.
“He was unbelievable when he first came to Chelsea.
“I wouldn’t put it past Pochettino. Chelsea and Manchester United do seem to have a strange relationship in the transfer market.”
Former Man Utd chief scout Mick Brown also claims a “priority” for Man Utd needs to be to sign a replacement for Harry Maguire.
“It has to be a priority for them in January to bring in a big, physical centre-back who can step up, organise the defence, and take authority of these situations,” Brown told Football Insider.
“Maguire does it at the moment, but he’s not doing it every week and they obviously don’t think he can play for 90 minutes for whatever reason.
“So it has to be something they address in January, a big, physical defender would be perfect for them and is just what they need to help sort things out at the back.”
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