Man Utd forced to pursue £16m transfer alternative after Tottenham hijack deal

23 December 2023 , 10:59

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Man Utd forced to pursue £16m transfer alternative after Tottenham hijack deal

Manchester United have turned their transfer focus to Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri after being dealt a blow at the hands of Tottenham.

Despite splashing out £72million on Rasmus Hojlund in the summer, Erik ten Hag is still seeking forward reinforcements in January with his side clearly lacking a cutting edge. Indeed, the Danish youngster is yet to get off the mark in the Champions League, despite striking five times in Europe.

Marcus Rashford is also perceived to be woefully out of form, with the attitude and application of the England international having been regularly called out by pundits. Anthony Martial has also been ineffective, and it appears inevitable he'll be released when his contract expires in the summer.

As a result, United have made enquiries about VfB Stuttgart forward Serhou Guirassy, who has scored 17 times in the top-flight this season. The Guinea international only signed a three-year deal with the club this year, but is already the subject of intense speculation.

However, according to the Sun, the 27-year-old favours a move to another Premier League team. Tottenham Hotspur are also tracking the star and are seemingly in pole position to secure his services next month.

Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash

Ten Hag has reacted to this development by reportedly sending scouts to watch En-Nesyri instead. Club representatives are set to attend Sevilla's clash at Atletico on Saturday afternoon before making a final decision on whether to give the Dutchman their seal of approval.

Manchester United are tracking Youssef En-Nesyri of Sevilla (Joaquin Corchero/REX/Shutterstock)

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En-Nesyri, 26, signed for the La Liga side from Leganes in January 2020 and has since helped the club to two Europa League crowns. And despite his team struggling in this campaign, the Moroccan international has still struck nine times in all competitions.

Indeed, back in July, he was the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia. Pro League club Al Hilal were reportedly willing to pay £40million for his services, but a move never materialised.

And his desire to stay in Spain seemed vindicated in October, when he scored against PSV in the Champions League. That made him the best Moroccan scorer in the history of the competition with nine goals, surpassing Marouane Chamakh.

Fraser Watson