Premier League side Man Utd have made an offer to bring RB Leipzig attacking midfielder Dani Olmo to Old Trafford, according to reports.
The Red Devils are on the lookout for ways to improve their squad in the summer transfer window with reports linking them with multiple players.
Erik ten Hag was allowed to bring Casemiro and Christian Eriksen to the club in the summer but there are still rumours that he is hoping to strengthen his midfield with further additions.
Their 1-0 victory over Wolves moved Man Utd into the top four with Tottenham’s loss yesterday meaning that the Red Devils are two points clear of fifth place with a game in hand.
And Ten Hag could build on that by signing RB Leipzig’s Olmo in January, according to Spanish publication Nacional, who claim that Man Utd have made an ‘offer’ for the player, along with Bayern Munich.
The newspaper reports that there was a ‘last-minute surprise’ which prevented Barcelona signing Olmo in the last winter transfer market with claims Xavi ‘refused and vetoed the signing, as he believed it was excessively expensive’.
With the €65m (£58m) deal falling through, it has now allowed other interested clubs to pursue Olmo in January with Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and AC Milan all ‘considering presenting a firm offer for him’.
And Nacional insists that Olmo has ‘offers’ from Man Utd and Bayern Munich on the table with Olmo’s former coach Julian Nagelsmann keen to work with the Spaniard again.
Man Utd see Olmo as a ‘really interesting reinforcement’ with the 24-year-old seen as the perfect tonic for missing out on Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo.
Paul Scholes has been particularly impressed by new signings Casemiro and Eriksen this season with both playing a big part of United’s good recent form.
Scholes told BT Sport (via the Manchester Evening News): “I just think he’s brought great experience to the middle of the pitch, great quality, I’ve said before his passing surprises me, his one-touch passing. He passes forward a lot, if you’re in a midfield with [Luka] Modric and [Toni] Kroos it can be easy to be in the background a little bit.
“He’s been fantastic. I worried about the physicality and his legs coming to England, he never looked the quickest but he’s so clever and plays the role brilliantly well. I don’t want to compare him to Michael Carrick – because he’s a Rolls Royce of a player – but positional sense he plays it perfectly.”
Scholes added: “He’s perfect for Eriksen as well, he’s been a really good signing. They can’t play the way they want to unless they have a player like Casemiro who does everything, the dirty work.
“These forward players, if you’re going to score lots of goals, you need a player like that in your team. [Bruno] Fernandes and Eriksen in front of him who only worry about goals, that’s their mentality, not worry about defending because they have a player next to them. There’s no better feeling when you’ve got that next to you.”
Manchester United keeping tabs on 30-year-old striker as Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement
Manchester United are keeping tabs on 30-year-old striker Vincent Aboubakar as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Aboubakar is currently playing for Al-Nassr out in Saudi Arabia, the club Ronaldo has recently signed for. The Cameroonian’s game time could be limited due to the introduction of Ronaldo who will undoubtedly be starting every single game after his big-money move.
Now, according to the Daily Mail, Manchester United are considering a move for Aboubakar as they look to find a replacement for Ronaldo. United’s attacking options are very limited at the moment, so it’s no surprise to see them in the market for a striker during the January transfer window.
A new attacker could be a priority for Manchester United, but their fans may have been hoping to have been linked to more exciting, younger players rather than the likes of Aboubakar.
However, signing players in January can sometimes be difficult, so Aboubakar brought in as a stopgap before bringing in a big name during the summer transfer window.
It’s no disrespect to Aboubakar, who has scored goals almost everywhere he goes, but it’s not the marquee striker signing United fans may have hoped for.
Source: football365.com; caughtoffside.com
