Manchester United haven't had the best of pre-season campaigns, but could still end the summer on a high if they make a few smart signings and sanction a sensible departure or two
Manchester United's summer has been far from smooth sailing.
They've suffered defeats by Liverpool, Arsenal and Rosenborg, and the injury woes of last season don't appear to have gone anywhere. Rasmus Hojlund is sidelined for approximately six weeks with a hamstring problem while new signing Leny Yoro, who joined from Lille for £52million last month, is out until late October with a metatarsal injury.
News of Yoro's setback is a huge blow, particularly since the Frenchman is their marquee signing of the summer. Other than that, there's now a gaping hole in Erik ten Hag's defence, especially following Raphael Varane's exit.
As such, has decided to envision what an ideal end to the summer transfer window might look like for the Red Devils. And spoiler alert, there are one or two reunions on the cards.
Securing De Ligt
Matthijs de Ligt has been on United's wish list since Ten Hag took over in 2022. The 24-year-old Dutch defender is up for grabs after a decent, albeit slightly disappointing, two-year spell at Bayern Munich. The German heavyweights are reportedly asking for around £42m for De Ligt, and while United are attempting to negotiate a lower price, it seems that it wouldn't take much to seal the deal.
Securing De Ligt would see him reunite with Ten Hag, his former manager at Ajax, for the first time in half a decade. The defender led Ten Hag's Eredivisie-winning team in 2018/19 and was named European Golden Boy after guiding the club to the Champions League semi-final before making a £70m switch to Juventus.
With De Ligt joining Lisandro Martinez, United would have two dependable, seasoned centre-backs on hand, and wouldn't need to throw Yoro, who is still only 18, straight into the fray.
Signing Mazraoui
Noussair Mazraoui is another player on United's summer shopping list and it's believed they've already had an offer for the Bayern star rejected. The Red Devils made a combined bid for both Mazraoui and De Ligt late last month, but it was turned down.
Mazraoui, 26, is reportedly keen on a move to Old Trafford and has even said no to a transfer to West Ham in the hopes of striking a deal with United in the coming weeks. Like De Ligt, the Moroccan full-back, who only made 19 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern last season, played under Ten Hag at Ajax and is keen to reunite with him.
According to reports, Mazraoui has agreed personal terms with United and is just waiting for the green light on the move. Though much will depend on whether the Red Devils can free up space in their squad for him - and speaking of which...
Selling Wan-Bissaka
West Ham are currently in negotiations to sign Aaron Wan-Bissaka, having failed in their bid to land Mazraoui. The former Crystal Palace defender has been a bit-part player under Ten Hag, having struggled for minutes behind Diogo Dalot in the pecking order.
As such, it might be the right time for the Englishman to move on, particularly with United eyeing up new options at right back. A move to West Ham will likely appeal, especially given the moves they've been making in the transfer market this summer.
They've already secured the signatures of Crysencio Summerville, Max Killman and Luis Guilherme, and now they want Wan-Bissaka to challenge Vladimir Coufal for the right-back position. United have set an asking price of £18m for the 26-year-old, and if a deal is struck, they could use the funds to secure deals for De Ligt, Mazraoui and....
Signing Gutierrez
The final piece of United's defensive puzzle could be Miguel Gutierrez, Girona's highly-rated left back. The 23-year-old is currently away at the Olympics with Spain, preparing for a semi-final showdown with Morocco, but could seal a move to United immediately after the tournament.
While the Red Devils aren't exactly lacking in the left-back department, both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia have been plagued by injuries over the past few seasons and there's a feeling that one of them could be sold to make room for someone with a better fitness record.
Gutierrez has been a key player for Girona since his move from Real Madrid in 2022, and his stellar performances last season have not gone unnoticed. He's also been on United's radar before. Jose Mourinho tried to lure him to Old Trafford back in 2017, but the young star chose to remain at Real Madrid.
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