Manchester United are facing a double blow in their reported pursuit of Juventus contract rebel Paulo Dybala after Borussia Dortmund joined the race for his signature.
The 29-year-old is out of contract at the Allianz Stadium and it has been confirmed he will leave after the club reneged on their terms on a lucrative £67million deal. Man United were thought to be one of several teams tracking the forward, along with Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Newcastle and Tottenham.
But it now appears that Dortmund are ready to make a surprise move for the Argentina international as a replacement for Erling Haaland. The Leeds-born sensation, 21, is expected to leave this summer as his £64m release clause becomes active on July 1.
Corriere dello Sport claim that the Bundesliga outfit have tabled an offer for the striker, who will be available to snap up on a free transfer. And they will be able to use the wages that Haaland currently earns to hand to Dybala, who will command a hefty salary due to his status as a free agent.
The offer of Champions League football would make Dortmund a better prospect than United, even if the Red Devils are financially more powerful. And it remains possible that the Premier League side could try to lure Dybala to Old Trafford, but that now appears unlikely.
It could also get worse for United as Dybala’s potential arrival at Signal Iduna Park could prove to be the catalyst for Haaland’s switch to Man City. The Norwegian has been in sensational form since joining from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2020, hitting 85 goals in 87 appearances for the Schwarzgelben. And Bild report that his move will go through once Dybala’s switch is confirmed.
It could mean that incoming boss Erik ten Hag will have to focus on other attacking targets following their apparent snub from Dybala. The Dutchman is set to oversee a major overhaul of the playing staff at the club after signing a three-year contract to take over as head coach from next season.
Ralf Rangnick, who will step into a consultancy role, has suggested United could bring in as many as 10 new players, with at least half a dozen departures expected at the club. While the signing of Dybala now looks unlikely, Christopher Nkunku, Declan Rice and Hugo Ekitike are just some of the players that have been linked with a summer transfer to join Ten Hag’s revolution.
In the departures lounge, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Edinson Cavani are all heading for the exit as part of United’s reshuffle when their contracts expire at the end of June. They could be joined by the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Eric Bailly and Dean Henderson as part of the squad rebuilding.
