Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha insists the signings of Frenkie de Jong and Tyrell Malacia show the club are moving in the right direction.
United are looking to get deals for both players over the line soon, having agreed fees for the pair earlier this week. A €15m (£12.9m) deal has been struck with Feyenoord for Malacia, while De Jong is expected to cost the club €65m (£56.14m) plus add-ons.
United’s wait for a first signing looks as though could end soon, having gone the whole of June without any new additions. United expect to finalise the transfer for Malacia “in the coming days”, while discussions are ongoing over De Jong as the Netherlands international prepares to return from his holiday.
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Despite the long wait, United are now lining up reinforcements elsewhere as Erik ten Hag embarks on his squad rebuild. And Saha believes the new boss is getting off on the right foot with his first two additions.
“They’re great signings because people were saying Man United were behind with transfers, so it’s showing things are definitely moving in the right direction,” Saha told BonusCodeBets. “At the same time, it’s more about the profile of the players.
“The manager knows these players really well, so it’ll help with their integration. He needs players that he knows can work, so even if those players don’t know the Premier League too well, it’s helpful for the manager. They’d be great signings. In his plans, those two players fit well with his mentality.”
Malacia’s arrival means Luke Shaw will come under pressure for his place in the side next season, although the England international is still recognised by United as the club’s first-choice left-back. Nevertheless, Saha believes Shaw will benefit from having strong competition for his place, insisting everyone at United needs the same.
“It’ll be very interesting. It’s the new standard that this club needs, having quality in every position [is necessary]. The only position you don’t need that in is with your goalkeepers. It’s not good to have two No.1 goalkeepers. It seems to disrupt one and another.
“The other positions are straight forward, you need competition. Having someone who can challenge you every week is important. The standard of the club will improve because of that.”
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