Manchester United midfielder Marcel Sabitzer was very keen to secure a loan move to Old Trafford from Bayern Munich, CBS reporter Ben Jacobs has told GiveMeSport.
Erik ten Hag had to find a short-term replacement for the injured Christian Eriksen before the January transfer window deadline.
Man Utd transfer news – Marcel Sabitzer
After it was revealed that Eriksen is expected to be out of action for an extended period having sustained an ankle injury, United had no choice but to move and sign a replacement midfielder on Deadline Day.
Shortly after, the Red Devils announced the signing of Sabitzer from Bayern Munich on a loan until the end of the season.
Ten Hag has explained the signing of the 28-year-old, saying: “I know the player already a long time from [RB] Salzburg. He performed fantastically, so I expect that he will do the same here. I think he has a great attitude; he is at the right age.”
Transfer insider Dean Jones has recently suggested to GiveMeSport that Sabitzer was the best option available to replace Eriksen at Old Trafford.
And Jacobs believes that “you never say never” to these types of deals being made permanent, with United potentially having a “summer desire” to bolster their midfield ranks.
What has Jacobs said about Sabitzer and Man Utd?
When talking about Sabitzer’s loan move, Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “With that one, it’s a straight loan, as simple as that. But you never say never with those kinds of deals. The player was very keen on the move.
“In addition to that, Manchester United had an urgency to fill that void because of a late injury to Christian Eriksen. Nonetheless, they will always be keeping an eye on that type of area because of what I said before about a summer desire perhaps to also bolster the midfield area.”
Will Sabitzer be a good signing for Man Utd?
Sabitzer has got plenty of experience playing at the top level in Germany with Bayern and RB Leipzig, having made 185 career Bundesliga appearances, hitting the back of the net 34 times whilst providing 29 assists, showing that he can be an attacking threat from the centre of the park.
The 68-cap Austria international has earned himself an average Sofascore rating of 6.92 for his displays in the German top flight this season, achieving a pass success rate of 88% and making 1.8 tackles per game, indicating that he is a bit of an all-rounder in midfield.
However, having started just seven games for Bayern this campaign, the 5 foot 10 dynamo may have felt that it was time for pastures new and a temporary switch to Manchester United could be the ideal opportunity to showcase what he is capable of to a Premier League audience.
It remains to be seen whether Sabitzer will impress enough to push United into making a play for his signature permanently, but the former RB Leipzig star will be hoping to convince ten Hag that he should be a long-term fixture at Old Trafford.
You can find all of the latest football news and rumours right here.
News Now – Sport News