Man Utd in dream land as transfer target confirms interest and says yes to manager Ruben Amorim

Man Utd in dream land as transfer target confirms interest and says yes to manager Ruben Amorim

Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim

A wing-back who’s ‘perfect’ for Ruben Amorim is desperate to sign for Manchester United in January and the club’s feeling is mutual, with all but one of the pieces now in place for a major January transfer, according to a report.

 

 

Man Utd have lost four on the spin, with Ruben Amorim as yet unable to turn the club’s fortunes around. That should perhaps not come as a surprise, however, given the squad Amorim has inherited is wholly unsuited to his 3-4-3 formation and tactical demands.

 

Perhaps the biggest deficiency within United’s squad at present is the lack of specialised options for the wing-back positions.

 

United legend, Gary Neville, recently explained why the Red Devils’ first order of business in the transfer market must be the signing of wing-backs for each flank.

 

 

“If you don’t have the wing-backs functioning up and down, that are able to attack and defend equally as good – and there aren’t many of those around by the way because there aren’t many teams who play wing-backs – then you’re going to struggle,” said Neville.

 

“So you need two quite unique players in those wide areas and I think that’s the starting point.

 

“That’s nothing against [Noussair] Mazraoui and [Diogo] Dalot, they’re very willing and doing the best job that they can. But to me they’re the two areas [that need addressing] in this system.”

 

And according to a fresh update from the i paper, Man Utd could make left wing-back, Nuno Mendes, the first major signing of the Amorim era.

 

 

Their report revealed contract talks between Mendes and club side PSG have ‘broken down.’ Mendes is contracted to PSG for another 18 months, though in lieu of the player’s camp upping their salary demands, PSG are now shopping the left-sided defender around.

 

PSG are willing to cash in on Mendes while they still can and the 22-year-old is in Man Utd’s sights.

 

Mendes previously played under Amorim at Sporting CP prior to his move to Paris and per the report, he’s seen as the ‘perfect fit’ for Amorim’s left wing-back role at Old Trafford.

 

 

Man Utd are ‘keen’ on striking a deal with PSG in January and even more encouragingly for United fans, it’s noted Mendes ‘wants to reunite with Ruben Amorim at Man Utd.’

 

But while Man Utd want Mendes, Mendes wants Man Utd, and PSG are willing to sell, there is one rather obvious issue that must be addressed before a transfer can happen…

 

Man Utd must sell before they buy

On the back of spending in excess of £180m last summer, Man Utd are not flush with cash for the winter window.

 

Indeed, the i paper noted that while all the pieces for a Mendes to Man Utd transfer are in place, the small matter of raising the capital to sign the player must be contended with.

 

And while PSG are open to selling Mendes, his status as their current starter at left-back means they won’t part ways on the cheap.

 

As such, Man Utd must raise money through player sales in order to reunite Mendes with Amorim in Manchester.

 

One player who could free up enough funds through just his own sale is Marcus Rashford. A separate report from The Times claimed Amorim and the United hierarchy have greenlit Rashford’s sale.

 

An alternative would be to sign Mendes on a six-month loan that contains an option/obligation to buy. That would allow Man Utd to offset paying the transfer fee needed to sign Mendes until the summer.

 

Whether PSG would be open to that kind of arrangement is as yet unclear.

 

Latest Man Utd news – Ratcliffe instruction / Zirkzee’s had enough

In other news, TEAMtalk has been told Sir Jim Ratcliffe has tasked his underlings with dramatically reducing Man Utd’s wage bill.

 

Rashford – who earns over £300,000-a-week – is free to leave, while an exit will also be sought for Casemiro (£350,000-a-week).

 

Elsewhere, transfer insider Rudy Galetti has informed us Joshua Zirkzee has instructed his camp to negotiate a way out of Man Utd in January.

 

On the back of his public humiliation against Newcastle, Zirkzee wants a change of scenery and three high-powered Serie A sides are ready to swoop.

 

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