Man Utd will look to loan out a forward this month and the favourite in the five-team scramble has been named, while updates have been provided on two further deals.
Interim Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick is under the microscope at Old Trafford. A damning report from the Mirror claimed at least 11 current stars are looking for a way out. Even more damaging was their claim the fractured United squad harbour doubts over the German’s training methods and tactical acumen.
Nonetheless, Rangnick does not appear to be in any imminent danger of losing his job. As such, all eyes will be on what course of action Rangnick takes in the January window.
Trusted transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has now provided an update on three United deals. However, they all pertain to exits.
Firstly, Romano tweeted United are ‘prepared’ to sanction the loan exit of Amad Diallo. That backs up information provided by journalist Jonathan Shrager who stated the Ivorian is not in Rangnick’s plans.
United’s incredible strength in depth in the final third sees the 19-year-old winger positioned far down the pecking order. In order to avoid his development being stunted, a loan deal could materialise.
Diallo came close to joining Feyenoord on loan last summer before an untimely thigh injury scuppered the move. Six months, on, Romano stated a move closer to home is on the agenda.
Championship side Birmingham City are reportedly leading the five-way race at present. The identities of the other four teams were not revealed.
Anthony Martial, Axel Tuanzebe updates
Romano also provided short updates on Anthony Martial and Axel Tuanzebe.
Newcastle, Juventus, Barcelona and Sevilla have all been linked with the 26-year-old Martial. A move to Spain appears most likely at this stage, but suitors Sevilla are struggling to muster the finances that Man Utd are seeking.
A loan deal is on the agenda, but Romano added that ‘Sevilla can’t pay’ Martial’s salary in full as well a loan fee. If a move to Seville is to go through, compromises must be made on one end.
One loan deal that has gone through is that of Axel Tuanzebe to Napoli.
The centre-half was sent straight to Naples after being recalled from Aston Villa due to a lack of regular gametime.
Romano confirmed that Napoli do not have an option to buy once the loan concludes. However, they will have ‘priority’ over rival suitors if they seek to forge another deal in the summer.
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Two issues stopping Rangnick correcting Man Utd course
Meanwhile, Rangnick is reportedly stunned by how far the Red Devils have fallen and believes two major issues are preventing him from turning the club around.
The situation at Old Trafford is so bad that Rangnick now feels it will take a massive effort to land a top-four spot, per the Daily Mail. That was known to be the minimum expectation when Solskjaer was shown the door.
The Mail report adds that there are also two big problems that Rangnick has encountered. Those issues are currently stopping him from transforming the team.
The first is the defence, with the German concerned that his high-pressing style is not suited to the back players currently at his disposal. The loss of form of Harry Maguire has only made the problem worse.
At this best, the Red Devils skipper likes to play on the front foot and pinch possession to get United back on the attack. However, his confidence appears to be at rock bottom.
The other issue that Rangnick and his staff have identified is a lack of physical conditioning. The first-team squad’s fitness levels are someway below what would normally be expected. To that end, Rangnick’s desire to implement a pressing game has been severely hampered.
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Steve Pearson
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