Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag could land himself a bargain in the market after it emerged that one of his reported targets is yet to sign a new deal with his current employers, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
Manchester United striker links
Undoubtedly, incomings and outgoings will be expected at Old Trafford in January as Ten Hag looks to improve his side’s fortunes after a tricky start to the 2023/24 campaign. Manchester United sit eighth in the Premier League table with 18 points from their first 11 fixtures, but their squad has been ravaged by injury concerns this term, leading to the Red Devils’ depth being pushed to the maximum as they aim to compensate for the absences of Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Casemiro, among others.
Recent reports have indicated that Manchester United have earmarked Flamengo striker Gabriel Barbosa as a potential solution to their striking woes and the Brazil international could be available for a cut-price fee of £20 million, with his contract set to expire at the end of 2024.
AC Milan are also keen on the poacher, who has notched 139 goals in 246 outings for the Brazilian giants. In a surprise twist, it is claimed that Flamengo are also keen on receiving Red Devils’ winger Antony in return on a loan basis, potentially creating a swap deal scenario between both Manchester United and Flamengo.
Recently, TEAMtalk indicated that United are unlikely to be involved in a January bidding war for Brentford striker Ivan Toney and have instead turned their attention to four alternative targets, including the aforementioned Gabigol, Porto’s Mehdi Taremi, Monaco frontman Wissam Ben-Yedder and Santos wonderkid Marcos Leonardo.
Nevertheless, it now appears that Ten Hag also has one eye on strengthening his midfield, and he has now received a boost in his hunt to freshen up the Red Devils’ engine room, according to transfer insider Romano.
Guido Rodriguez stalls on new contract
According to reports in Spain last week, Manchester United are suitors for Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez amid Casemiro’s recent injury woes and a desire to add more depth to the engine room at Old Trafford from Ten Hag.
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Guido Rodriguez statistics 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt) |
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Appearances |
14 |
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Goals |
1 |
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Assists |
1 |
Now, transfer expert Romano has issued a fresh update on Rodriguez’s future, detailing that he has yet to put pen to paper on a new deal at La Liga outfit Real Betis, which could lead to the Argentina international being available on a free transfer in the summer of 2024.
Explaining in his Daily Briefing via CaughtOffside, Romano stated: “Real Betis want to offer Guido Rodriguez a new deal as he comes closer to being a free agent. The same for Juan Miranda, but at this stage, there’s no agreement with both players, including Guido. It’s an open situation. At the moment, it is not something concrete, but there’s interest from many clubs, including Atletico Madrid.”
Despite several clubs being in the frame for Rodriguez, Manchester United could land themselves a potential bargain either for a cut-price fee in January or on a free transfer next summer if any deal were to materialise to bring the midfielder to Old Trafford.