'Offer made' - £26m Man United target says yes to move amid interest from Juventus
Man United have previously been linked to a Juventus target; He was a player Ruben Amorim loved.
Man United are having a fairly quiet January window in terms of recruitment, as they are yet to make any signings, and could end the month without any new players for manager Michael Carrick.
Reports earlier in January claimed that Ruben Amorim was ignored by the Man United hierarchy, as there were two players he wanted the Red Devils to sign in January, but they didn’t listen to him, and decided to sack the Portuguese boss.
One of those names was Brighton striker Danny Welbeck, as Amorim wanted Premier League experience at the striker position. The other name was Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has been linked to United for over a year now.
Juventus make offer to sign Mateta
Whether United consider Amorim’s proposals or not, they may now run out of time, as reports in Italy claim that Juventus have made an offer to sign Mateta, who has said he is willing to leave Palace in the January window.
The striker’s contract is due to expire in June 2027, so Palace could look to cash in on him this season to ensure they get a good financial return for the Frenchman. Italian news outlet Calciomercato claim that Juventus have made an offer totalling £26m for Mateta, as it is a £1.7m loan fee, with a £24.3m obligation to buy Mateta if they qualify for the Champions League this season.
It is understood that Mateta has said yes to the move, but Crystal Palace rejected the bid, as they would prefer a permanent sale for the French international if he were to leave this month. If Juventus are serious about signing Mateta, it could ruin any chance of United signing him, as they would more likely make a move for him in the summer transfer window, when they are willing to spend more money.
Amorim wanted Watkins instead of Sesko
It wasn’t just Mateta and Welbeck that Amorim wanted to sign, as the Red Devils did sign a striker in the summer, but it wasn’t the one he wanted. United signed Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, but he’s had a slow start, scoring four goals in 17 Premier League games.
Amorim reportedly wanted Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins as his first-choice striker, and that could’ve proven to be a good signing as Watkins has scored seven goals in 22 games, after a season when he netted 16 goals in 38 games under Unai Emery last term.
However, United’s bosses decided to go with the younger, high-potential option of Sesko instead, which is arguably more of a risk because he’s less proven. The Red Devils will hope that Carrick can begin to get the best out of Sesko, so they can prove Amorim wrong.