Ralf Rangnick may finally reunite with midfielder Amadou Haidara at Manchester United after the club missed out on one of their other transfer targets on Wednesday, Marcelo Brozovic.
The German manager was not able to sign any players in the January transfer window as the higher powers at Red Devils wanted to conserve their budget for when they appoint his long-term successor in the summer. United did not want any players arriving that may find themselves surplus to requirements next season in a new system.
Therefore, despite Paul Pogba being out of contract at the end of the season and Donny van de Beek pushing for a loan move, Rangnick wasn’t able to sign a midfielder. It was reported that the manager was pushing for Haidara of RB Leipzig, but United stood firm and Rangnick was made to head into the second half of the campaign with the same crop of players.
But Rangnick may now get his own way as Brozovic has put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at Inter Milan until 2026, having previously been set to become a free agent at the end of the season. Calcio Mercato previously reported that the Red Devils were ‘seriously thinking’ about signing the Croatian international.
Wages were an issue for Brozovic and his agent went as far as ‘proposing’ the 28-year-old to both United and Paris Saint-Germain. But with the midfielder now staying put at Inter, the Old Trafford outfit will need to reconsider who is a viable alternative.
Of course, their new manager – which looks set to be either Ajax’s Erik ten Hag or PSG’s Mauricio Pochettino – will have their own targets. But with Rangnick set to move into a consultancy role at the end of the season, he will certainly be pushing for Haidara once again.
West Ham ’s Declan Rice has been a long-term target of United, but with the Hammers doing well in the Europa League and looking on course to compete in some form of European tournament next season, it will take a significant fee to prise him away from the club. But it could also take a lot for Haidara to leave Leipzig.
Speaking after the January transfer window shut, the 24-year-old told Bild : “I still have a contract [until 2025] and I want to keep fulfilling it. I see no reason to think about a change. It's clear that the English league is very interesting for all of us. But why should I throw this all away for something I might not be sure about? One wonders whether it's worth it.
"Of course, I asked myself this question, but I don't have an answer because I want to achieve my goals here with RB. That's what I'm still working for." Haidara has previously spoken fondly of United and thus it would be no surprise to see the Mali international backtrack on his statement if the Red Devils are willing to meet the release clause in his contract – reported to be around the £33million mark.
