Marcel Sabitzer had nothing to lose when touching down in the Premier League mid-season yet Manchester United have everything to gain by making his loan transfer permanent when the market reopens.
After losing Christian Eriksen to injury, United had to think (and act) quickly in January and Sabitzer was the man Erik ten Hag settled on to address temporary concerns within the engine room. 18 games later and Sabitzer has proven himself to be much more than the required stop-gap.
Helping to hold down the fort when Casemiro was suspended, the Austrian has since been able to showcase his primary qualities in an advanced position. Hard-working, clever, tidy in possession and hungry to press as you would expect from anyone schooled or nurtured by the Red Bull system, Sabitzer is every bit a Ten Hag player in style and substance - and he will not exactly break the bank in a pricey market.
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United do not plan to pursue fellow mid-season loanee Wout Weghorst permanently, as already reported by Manchester Evening News, so the silence with regards to Sabitzer, perhaps, speaks volumes. While there are obstacles to overcome, United would be foolish to look past him as an option.
In their ongoing search for a new striker, signing England captain Harry Kane - or any worthwhile alternative - would make a significant dent in the summer budget and Ten Hag must address further areas to build on this promising first season at the Old Trafford helm.
A dynamic midfielder is also on the shopping list for United and Sabitzer fits the bill there. He might not be Jude Bellingham or Frenkie de Jong, but there are far too many moving parts at play to offer any guarantees either would sign; as United discovered first-hand when tracking De Jong for so long last summer.
That failed move turned out to be a happy accident in one respect, though, as Ten Hag and key figures in the boardroom made up for three frustrating months by diverting their attention to Brazil powerhouse Casemiro and getting him across the line. In hindsight, it was a better fit all along at that particular juncture.
De Jong or Bellingham would complement Casemiro in midfield but there is, quite frankly, less noise around the former heading into this summer, and Bellingham appears Real Madrid-bound. Liverpool and Arsenal are, meanwhile, frantically shopping in the same circles as United - while it is not beyond the realms of possibility that Manchester City will also do business in that area.
Declan Rice, Alexis Mac Allister, Nicolo Barella and Mason Mount are among countless names being tipped to switch to those earmarked clubs. However, despite Rice and Mount nearing the final year of their contracts, all four would cost a pretty penny and Ten Hag primarily needs to reserve finances elsewhere.
Sabitzer has been made to feel wanted at United and that is not certain to be the case at Bayern under new management. Sitting behind Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka already, countryman Konrad Laimer will join the ranks next season and Ryan Gravenberch is pressing for more game-time as Thomas Tuchel plots his own tweaks after replacing sacked predecessor Julian Nagelsmann in the Allianz Arena dugout.
Having cost Bayern only €15million two seasons ago, the German heavyweights could not reasonably expect to make any profit on 29-year-old Sabitzer and they might, as a result, be poised to cut their losses. As proven by Eriksen, meanwhile, the best fit is not always the most costly.
United had to play catch-up in midfield last summer when signings Casemiro and Eriksen markedly improved what had gone before them. Fast forward 12 months, they are seemingly ahead of the curve with movement elsewhere - and bargain buy Sabitzer could give them another head start.
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