According to rumors, Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag is getting closer to being able to add another defender to his squad before the transfer market closes this summer.
Who might Manchester United sign or sell before the transfer window shuts?
Manchester United have added Mason Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund to their squad this month, and more signings could be on the way in the coming weeks.
Despite this, the Red Devils have produced two sub-par performances in their opening Premier League fixtures, recording a fortuitous 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers at home on the first day of the season, followed by a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in north London, according to Sky Sports.
Manchester United play Nottingham Forest at home this weekend, and they will be missing £60 million signing Mount, who has an injury and will be out until after the international break, according to The Daily Mail.
In terms of recruitment, Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been mentioned in connection with a surprise move to Old Trafford; however, according to FootballTransfers, it is more likely that Manchester United will wait until January to advance for the England international due to his ban from football activity for violating the FA’s betting rules.
According to ESPN, Ten Hag is aiming to recruit a midfielder and a goalie before the end of the season, though player sales will be required to spark any prospective incomings.
Donny van de Beek, Eric Bailly, Brandon Williams, and Dean Henderson are all expected to leave the Premier League giants this summer, and any monies collected for their services will most likely be used to bring in reinforcements, while getting Harry Maguire off the books is also a priority.
According to The Manchester Evening News, Manchester United winger Facundo Pellestri is in talks with Sheffield United about a loan move. Despite being delighted with his progress, the club sees a move to Bramall Lane as an opportunity for the youngster to obtain regular first-team experience.
Is Jean-Clair Todibo on his way to Manchester United?
According to L’Equipe, as cited by Sport Witness, Manchester United are interested in a younger Maguire successor in Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo, whose departure from the Ligue 1 club is believed to be ‘looming’.
Nice expects their star player to depart and is already hunting for alternatives, according to the report. They have identified Rennes star Christopher Wooh as an alternative who may improve their backline as they prepare for Todibo to leave for Manchester United.
Todibo, who was labeled as “underrated” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig earlier this year, has gone on to make 104 appearances across all competitions for Nice, scoring two goals in all, according to Transfermarkt.
Todibo has excelled in the art of effective take-on compared to his positional rivals in Europe’s top five divisions, averaging 0.63 per 90 minutes over the last 365 days, putting him in the 96th percentile for this category, according to FBRef.
It remains to be seen whether Todibo’s potential arrival will further disturb Maguire and have an effect on his future at Old Trafford; nonetheless, there is no doubt that the former Barcelona star would be an upgrade and may eventually replace the England international.