Manchester United are set for a busy few days ahead of the transfer deadline with Cristiano Ronaldo still searching for an exit route and plenty of targets still to get over the line.
United secured their first Premier League win under Erik ten Hag with a much-needed 2-1 victory over Liverpool, but the club’s summer transfer dealings appear far from finished.
Casemiro was unveiled to supporters at Old Trafford before that win, with the midfielder a high-cost addition from Real Madrid.
Ten Hag has also secured the signings of Ajax’s Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia of Feyenoord this summer, while Christian Eriksen arrived on a free transfer.
But with the Dutch manager keen for more reinforcements, who else might be coming and going before the window closes?
Antony
Manchester United are confident that they will get a deal for Ajax’s Antony over the line before the close of the transfer window on September 1st. The club want to sign the forward and Antony wants to join Utd having already handed in a transfer request to the Dutch side. The problem is that Ajax do not want to sell.
Ajax have already rejected an offer of £72.3million last week. It is understood that it will take an offer of £84.5million to force the issue. However, United are confident of signing Antony in a deal worth up to £80million. They plan to offer to £75m up front with a further £5m due in add-ons.
The Independent’s Miguel Delaney reports that the 22-year-old has agreed personal terms, but Manchester United must up their bid to convince Ajax to part with Antony.
Martin Dubravka is said to be keen on a move to Old Trafford with the only barrier to the transfer being the agreement between Manchester United and Newcastle. Fabrizio Romano says that a loan with £5m buy option clause is now being discussed.
Interest has reportedly cooled over the Eintracht Frankfurt’s Kevin Trapp after the club demanded €25m. Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Yann Sommer has also been linked.
Another Eredivisie item of interest in a Dutch-infused summer of recruitment at Manchester United is PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo. Another winger with significant potential, the 23-year-old may still be a target even if the Antony deal is completed with Ten Hag looking for plenty of options in his forward line.
The Daily Mail suggest that a bid will be submitted for Gakpo, though PSV manager, and former Manchester United striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy insists that he would like to keep hold of the Dutchman.
PSV’s exit from the Champions League could have an impact, according to reports. The Dutch club were knocked out at the play-off round by Rangers on Wednesday night, which could mean PSV find it harder to turn down an offer from United before the deadline.
Manchester United boss, Erik ten Hag, is reportedly pushing the club to seal a deal for the return of Barcelona forward Memphis Depay.
The 28-year-old was expected to rip up his contract with the Spanish club and join Juventus this summer but the Italian side chose to go a different way.
With that deal collapsed Sport claim United could pick up the pieces with an £8m bid for Depay as Ten Hag is desperate to boost his attacking options before next week’s transfer deadline.
“I think Depay wants to come back to the Premier League and he feels he has unfinished business in England,” former Arsenal midfielder Robert Pires claimed. “It didn’t work out for him at Manchester United and Depay is a very proud player.
“He perhaps feels he wasn’t given a chance to perform and earn the right to stay longer considering he was so young and showed glimpses of undoubted potential. Depay might want to return to Manchester United or he might be motivated to prove them wrong by performing for one of their rivals in the Premier League.”
Manchester United’s summer-long pursuit of Frenkie de Jong looks like it could be over with no deal as yet fully agreed for the Barcelona midfielder. Having worked under Ten Hag at Ajax, Miguel Delaney reported last month that De Jong favours a move but is waiting for Barcelona to pay deferred wages as the Catalan club continues to face financial difficulties.
Barcelona may need to sell De Jong to make their strange summer of business work - as Karl Matchett explains.
Who could leave?
Manchester United have moved to silence rumours of a Cristiano Ronaldo move to Sporting Lisbon.
CaughtOffiside tweeted on Thursday that a Ronaldo return to Sporting Lisbon was ‘99 per cent done’ but an Old Trafford source told the Daily Mail that the 37-year-old striker is still expected to stay with the Red Devils this summer. Ronaldo has alos been linked with Marseille and Napoli as his agent Jorge Mendes looks to secure him Champions League football this year.
Marseille have signed defender Eric Bailly on a season-long loan with a view to a permanent move. According to reports, the deal includes an obligation to buy if add-ons are met while Marseille will also cover the 28-year-old’s full wages during the course of the loan.
Bailly’s departure could be the precursor to a true defensive exodus at the club - The Telegraph report that Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe are all available.
Wan-Bissaka’s departure could necessitate the addition of another full-back: Barcelona’s Sergino Dest has been linked.
Ex-Manchester United defender Patrice Evra admits that time may be up for Harry Maguire at Old Trafford. The £85million defender has endured a difficult time since moving to the club and was dropped for Monday’s 2-1 win over Liverpool.
The Sun says that Erik ten Hag has told Maguire he is no longer first choice at centre-back and with rumours saying that Chelsea could start to pursue Maguire, Evra reckons his old side should cash in.
“I can say people are too harsh on Harry Maguire, but he is paying the price for his transfer fee.” said the Frenchman, “From that day, I said he is going to have the most difficult season for United because people only looked at the price.
“If we bought him for £5m, people would say he’s an amazing centre-back. We all have bad games but now we’ve got to a point where even if he has a good game people are not happy.
“So there’s a negativity around him.”
