Ten Hag told to use "fragmented" relationship to make three Man Utd transfers
Manchester United should raid Serie A for the league’s biggest stars in the January transfer window, according to Paul Ince.
United are sixth in the Premier League, 11 points adrift of leaders Arsenal, having struggled to find consistency under Erik ten Hag this season. Ten Hag has been undermined by injuries recently, with the lack of depth in some positions particularly evident in their exit from the Champions League against Bayern Munich.
The club spent £185million in the summer to bring in Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana and chief operating officer Collette Roche has admitted United are unlikely to be busy in January due to Financial Fair Play considerations. Ten Hag has given a similar message, stressing the lack of quality available in the mid-season transfer window, but former United midfielder Ince believes there are some gems in Italy.
“Lautaro Martinez and Victor Osimhen would be two players who have been looked at by Premier League teams – particularly Osimhen, whose relationship with the Napoli owners has become a bit fragmented,” Ince told DAZN Bet. “Darwin Nunez and Rasmus Hojlund aren't clinical finishers. Martinez and Osimhen are.
”Man Utd don't have an identified striker at the moment as [Anthony] Martial, [Marcus] Rashford, and Hojlund have hardly scored this season. You need a striker who'll get you at least 25 goals a season if you want to seriously challenge for trophies.
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“Rashford achieved that last season by scoring 31 goals and it resulted in United getting a Champions League place. That's how important a clinical scorer is. I'd say Nicolo Barella would also be a great fit. United need someone like him in midfield.”
Victor Osimhen has long been linked with a move to the Premier League (Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio/Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! Who should Manchester United target in the January transfer window? Comment below.
Hojlund cost an initial £64m from Atalanta in the summer, but is yet to score in 13 Premier League matches. United are open to letting Martial leave in January, ahead of his contract expiring in the summer, while Rashford has been way short of the form which saw him record his best goalscoring campaign in 2022/23.
United are understood to be looking at Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen, RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner and Stuttgart’s Serhou Guirassy ahead of the January window opening. The club want to find a striker who can provide back-up to Hojlund, but are hindered by financial constraints.
Osimhen has agreed terms on a new contract with Napoli, which will contain a £112m release clause, while Inter Milan don’t want to lose Martinez, who has now scored 29 goals in 2023 following his 17th strike of the season on the weekend, or Barella, who is their key man in midfield.
As Ten Hag said recently: “As a club, you have to look for improvements, so if you can find better and it’s realistic financially and with financial fair play, I think the club has to go with it. But realistically, in relation to the market, most of the time you don’t attract the best players in the winter. The top, top players will not leave their clubs in the winter.”
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