This week’s Manchester United transfer rumours analysed
It happens in every transfer window. Manchester United are linked with every Tom, Dick and Harry on planet earth. It is a result of being among the biggest football clubs in the world and having the money to back it up.
After qualifying for the Champions League, it is Jose Mourinho’s job to steady the ship and make sure United are a regular competitor in Europe’s most prestigious competition again. And that may require signing better players and adding strength in depth in some departments.
So, without further ado, here are this week’s top five emerging transfer rumours regarding Manchester United:
Fabinho (AS Monaco)
Italian journalist Emanuele Giulianelli believes United are just days away from signing Fabinho, who can play as a holding midfielder or full-back. He’s just 23-years-old and has been linked to an array of clubs this summer, including Juventus and Manchester City.
Meanwhile, Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News is less convinced. The former Huffington Post reporter says United will not pursue a deal for Fabinho as Mourinho’s list of possible defensive midfield options did not include the Brazilian.
Fabinho was the catalyst for Leonardo Jardim’s impressive side which looked to play on the break. This is a player with superb athleticism, ability to read the game, intercept trouble and neat passing.
Status: Likely
Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
The Sunday Mirror believe Mourinho wants the United hierarchy to put all their attention on Harry Kane, and end their so-called pursuit for Cristiano Ronaldo, which is not going to happen this summer.
Kane was the best striker in the Premier League but Mourinho immediately identified the England international as a target during his first summer at the club. A year on, it has only become more difficult to lure him away from Spurs, and Daniel Levy isn’t going to sell for anything less than £100m.
The Spurs star scored a remarkable 29 goals from 29 Premier League outings last season, creating a further 7 goals during that spell, therefore United will be expected to breaking the transfer record two years in a row if Kane was to move up north.
Status: Unlikely
Ander Talisca (Benfica)
This has been a circus-like transfer story. It began when Turkish outlets claimed United had agreed on a deal for Talisca, crediting Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, who never reported the story in the first place.
It didn’t help matters when Talisca, on holiday in Brazil, gave an interview to Globo Esparte said he dreamed of playing for United while making it aware that Mourinho was a fan.
However, that is true. When Talisca left Brazilian side Bahia to join Benfica, Mourinho said he ‘would be in England if he had a work permit.’ He was Chelsea manager at the time and later confirmed that Talisca was a long-term target for the club.
But apart from Talisca’s quote in the Brazilian press, we have nothing solid to suggest Mourinho is chasing him for United this summer.
Status: Unknown
Alvaro Morata (Real Madrid)
Even though many of us never bought into Cristiano Ronaldo’s PR stunt following the tax evasion allegations that he wanted to leave Spain, therefore Real Madrid, talk of United’s pursuit for Alvaro Morata has quietened.
Mourinho knows he needs goals and many fans are of the opinion that the club should look to bring in two given Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s exit, and how the Swede alone couldn’t provide the number of goals needed to put United in a title race — a clear objective for the new campaign.
United are definitely interested in Morata and are willing to pay a giant fee for the striker. He spends most weeks on the bench at Madrid, so it would make little sense for this saga to drag on much longer when the player returns from his honeymoon.
Status: Very likely
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)
Even if United sign Fabinho from AS Monaco, Nemanja Matic should remain on the club’s list of potential signings. This is a player who knows how to win — like Fabinho, pipping PSG to the Ligue 1 this year — and has done so under the current United manager.
Fabinho is also assured at right-back which would lessen the reliance on Antonio Valencia offering Mourinho the chance to rest players and mix tactics up depending on upcoming opponents.
Meanwhile, Matic is unlikely to have a future at Chelsea if the Premier League champions sign Tiemoue Bakayoko from Monaco. That is a clear opening to take the Serbia international from Stamford Bridge, and to make sure United have the right players to unleash Paul Pogba next season.
Status: Likely
